Urban Legend
by Ghost of the Dawn
Summary: Co Written by Willowsandgables. Alternate sequel to Demons in the Doorway. Six years after high school, a summer vacation unknowingly leads to the awakening of an ancient evil and it has marked our favorite heroes as its next victims.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: Welcome to our shared project. As fellow fans of both Ronin Warriors and the horror/comedy genre, we decided to bring you a story of hot boys, Japan and monsters. This fic is an alternate sequel to "Demons in the Doorway" and also includes Willow's OC Regan who appeared in an equally old fic "One Flew Over the Robyn's Nest" which you can still find on my Samurai Reflections website. Though reading it is not necessary to understand what is going on in this story.

I do however greatly encourage you to check out Willow's other Ronin Warriors stories. You can find a link to her FF account in my author favorites.

 **Urban Legend**

 **By: Ghost of the Dawn and Willowsandgables**

 **Chapter One**

Ryo checked his phone again, frowned at the lack of messages, and shoved it back into his pocket once more. Despite all the noise of the busy airport, he clearly heard the familiar chime from Kento's phone, indicating he had received a new text message.

Sighing, Hardrock pulled out his cell and glanced at the message. Another heavy, agitated breath escaped him as his phone sounded another new message before he could even finish reading the first one.

"How many ways do I have to tell her to leave me alone before she finally gets it?"

"Your ex?" Rowen asked. "I thought you blocked her."

"I did! She changed her number and she texts me from her friends' phones." Right as Kento finished speaking, another text was intercepted.

Ryo, with his empty phone, all but scowled at Hardrock.

"Hey, believe me, Ryo, if we could exchange problems, I would in a heartbeat," Kento told him. And his phone dinged again. "God damnit, Fumi! Leave me alone! It's over!"

"Give me the phone," Rowen offered, extending a hand. "I'll respond for you."

"No way, Rowen." Kento took a step back from his taller friend. "You'll just make it worse."

Rowen grinned as if that had always been his plan.

"Maybe you weren't clear with her," Mia suggested from where she sat next to Cye, her fingers entwined with his.

"I was as clear as I could be. I have told her we're done in every way I know how—in every language I know. She's just... so crazy, Mia."

"That's not nice to say."

"But, it is quite accurate, love," Cye insisted in a gentle voice. "You only met her that one time. You never got to experience the real Fumi."

Mia looked around at the murmurs of agreement from the other Ronins and didn't push the issue further.

Kento's cell pinged again and he made a frustrated noise while simultaneously looking fit to slam the phone on the ground.

"Their plane just landed," Sage announced. He sat on the other side of Mia and had been watching the flight boards the whole conversation.

"Yeah, tell Fumi you can't talk right now, you're meeting two hot girls at the airport," Rowen told Kento.

Kento grinned back at him. "And you're supposed to be the smart one."

* * *

Robyn stared at herself in the busy airport bathroom mirror as she ran a comb through her hair, desperately attempting to not appear like she hadn't just sat through a ten-hour flight. To her left, she could also see the reflection of Regan, her best friend of the past six years, watching her impatiently.

"Almost done?"

Robyn threw a dark look at her friend for a quick second. With Regan's taller, dark beauty, a little disheveling from the plane only made her look better. Robyn momentarily despised her friend.

"I don't want to look like I just washed up on shore," Robyn said. Like I probably did the last time I came here, she thought to herself.

"You look fine. They're going to put the luggage out any minute, you don't want to keep your man-tourage waiting."

Robyn glared again. Regan never did pass up an opportunity to tease her over the fact that she had been mooning over these five _men_ since she first left Japan. All five of them, according to Robyn's fangirling, were the most perfect, amazing people on the face of the planet. At the thought of seeing them after six years, her heart began to flutter, making her chest feel too small. This torture had gone on and off the entire flight over.

"I am so nervous. Half of me wants to jump right back on that plane. Tell me I'm being ridiculous, Rae."

"You _are_ being ridiculous," Regan said in a firm voice. She grabbed her shorter friend's shoulders and bodily steered her out of the bathroom. "I have put up with you yapping about these guys for years. If you bail out on me now, I'm filing for a friendship divorce and taking you for everything you've got."

Robyn sighed as she allowed herself to be guided out of the bathroom and into the massive walkway. A sign written in both Japanese and English loomed ahead, pointing to the escalator that would take them down to the baggage carousels.

And them.

Her heart flip-flopped again with urgency. They were here, in this building. In mere seconds she would be able to see them. But what exactly would she find on their faces? Would there still be tiny threads of disappointment and anger?

Robyn had been a dumb kid when she fled from Japan in secret. If she had a chance to do it over, it would have been different. Maybe she still would have returned to the states, but it wouldn't have been the same way. She knew she left her friends very angry and confused, and she did not look forward to facing up to her mistakes. She did not want to find out how they would treat her now—even though she would most assuredly deserve it—and leave her memories of their happy faces smiling and untainted by what she had done to them.

They were at the carousels now, passing one after another. The airport was extremely busy and people from all over the world were everywhere. It would be difficult to find familiar faces among the crowd. But as the girls approached the carousel designated for their flight, it was easy to pick out that group. So much familiarity all gathered in one spot.

"There they are," Robyn said to Regan, nodding in their direction. She hoped Regan didn't notice it took some real effort to force air out of her lungs. It was suddenly so hard to breathe. She barely detected the supporting hand of her friend pressing briefly against the small of her back.

The boys seemed to notice her all at once and approached to meet them, a united front coming at her. Robyn's mind could barely process it. All five of them were there and her eyes flitted over each one at an almost panicked pace.

All too soon they were right in front of her and Robyn steeled herself to give them a normal, proper greeting. She wanted to rush at them all and gush like the smitten idiot that she was, but she wasn't sure they would appreciate that. Instead, she held back, put on her best smile, and prepared herself for whatever reception they planned to give her.

"Hey, guys." Her voice shook slightly, despite her best efforts.

No sooner had those words left her mouth then Kento stood before her, his impressive bulk taking up all the space around her. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her off the ground with a, "Finally!"

That warm embrace burst Robyn's bubble of trepidation. All the fear leaked out and only his warmth remained.

She laughed, a relieved, joyful sound, and hugged him back. "I know, right?"

* * *

As soon as Robyn pointed these people out to her, Regan was prepared. She had her phone out and was already recording as one of them lifted Robyn off her toes in a bear hug. By the time he put her down, Regan to could tell that shell of protection Robyn had been building around herself the entire flight had shattered.

The second the redhead was placed back on the floor, she attacked the next one with an excited, high-pitched "CYE!" Immediately she was fawning shamelessly all over him, cooing over his height, his hair, how handsome he had grown, and Regan couldn't fight off a smile. Cye took the flood of compliments with tolerance until he could get a word in.

"Robyn, you remember my fiancée?" He gestured to a tall, striking brunette standing next to him.

Robyn pulled away, only slightly embarrassed at being caught gushing over someone else's man. "Oh, of course! Mia, congratulations!"

The two women hugged.

"I'm so glad you came," Mia said.

"I am, too," Robyn admitted.

Regan continued to film the scene, unnoticed by everyone else. She had heard about all five of these young men from Robyn over the years, but it was difficult to take them all in at once like this. From Robyn's reaction, she finally knew who the infamous Cye was; _the_ best friend, the light of her life, the little boy savior who continued to mean so much to Robyn, no matter the distance. The blonde one, of course, had to be Sage. The other three... she couldn't quite put names to the faces just yet.

There was also a whirl of Japanese going around the group as each one of the guys took their turns to greet her. Regan had been trying to learn the language but was still very much a novice. She could only pick out a familiar word here and there, so she didn't try very hard to follow any one thread of conversation. The gist of the scene, however, was very easy to interpret.

Robyn's reaction left her as an open book, her joy and relief apparent at being reunited with her old friends. Regan expected that of her, and was glad to see it after the hours and hours of quiet worrying and uncertainty from the past day. Robyn was good at hiding a lot of emotions, but never her exuberance for anything or anyone. That was why Regan was filming. Robyn was so cute when she was around something she loved. Even more entertaining was going to be her embarrassed response when she watched this video later.

What Regan wasn't expecting, however, was the reaction of the five men to her presence. From Robyn's stories, Regan imagined a dorky, teenage Robyn trailing this group of guys who merely put up with her to be nice. When she talked about them all, they gained near mythic status; demigods hanging around a mere mortal. But this…this reunion, in the middle of the airport, told a completely different story.

As Robyn unselfishly showered each one with praise and affection, these guys seemed to drink it up. They softened visibly at her presence, especially as her eyes watered with happy tears. They basked in her attention, looking very content to be near her again. Despite the noise and bustle of the airport, there was a profound sense of completion now that they were all together. Regan had a feeling her first assumptions about these relationships had been all wrong.

As the dark-haired girl continued to film, she tried to take the five in one at a time. She was going to have to remember all the names and faces, so might as well start now trying to tell them apart.

As the camera wandered from one to the other, however, Regan began to notice that all of Robyn's friends were extremely good-looking. She slowly took each one in, taking note of their physical features, their heights and physiques.

"Regan."

She quickly glanced up, her cheeks a bit rosy at the thought of being caught ogling.

"Turn off your phone and come over here," Robyn admonished.

Regan sheepishly shoved the phone in her pocket and did as she was told.

"Okay, let me introduce you to everyone," Robyn said, starting with the man their left. "This is Ryo." Ryo looked the most Japanese out of the group, though he had startling blue eyes that would never find true justice on Regan's little phone recorder. "This is Sage and Rowen." These two were near the same height and the tallest of the group. Though they seemed like night and day standing next to each other. Rowen nodded at her with a large grin while Sage merely blinked in her direction. The latter seemed quite detached and only softened his cold demeanor slightly when Robyn first greeted him.

"This, of course, is the amazing, wonderful Cye." Robyn moved on, hugging him around the waist with one arm. "And his gorgeous fiancée Mia."

"I'm going to be the one easiest to remember," Mia said with humor.

Regan couldn't help but chuckle, partially in relief. Mia seemed to speak perfect English. Despite Robyn's assurance that all her friends spoke enough English that she could communicate with them, Regan had worried it still might be difficult for them to understand each other. Now she was feeling a bit better about it.

"Last one is Kento," Robyn then said, gesturing to the man on the far right. He wasn't all that tall, but his broad chest and arms sure did an impressive job of taking up all the room around him. The

guy looked like he could bench press a horse.

"And this is Regan," Robyn finished up with the introductions. "She's awesome, be nice to her."

"So, you're the reason Robyn's out here right now," Kento accused of her. His English wasn't quite as good as Mia's with his gruff Chinese accent, but he was still understandable.

"Uh, yeah?" Regan replied in a small voice, unsure of how to read his tone.

"Good. If she had her way, we'd probably see her a day before the wedding and she'd be off before the ceremony was even over."

Robyn gaped. "I'm not that bad."

"Uh-huh."

Robyn said something to him in Japanese that just made him laugh. Then the baggage carousel began to spew out the flight's luggage and both turned their attention to that. Regan caught Cye looking at her and he mouthed a "Thank you" her way. She smiled and nodded.

* * *

Cye had been looking forward to this day for the past three months, and even when he held his oldest, dearest friend close, he still couldn't quite believe it was happening.

It had been six long years since her sudden departure. He had honestly begun to convince himself that if they ever saw one another again, it wouldn't be until they were well into their thirties. Now that he was getting married, he knew he would have seen Robyn for the wedding in September, and it would have had to be enough to tide him over for the next six years or longer. But having the opportunity to visit with her as often as he wanted for nearly six whole months was beyond the scope of what he had imagined. This woman, Regan, was to thank for that and he hoped she, too, would have a good time here in Japan. Enough to make them want to come back again.

"Thank you for taking care of Robyn for us," he said to Regan as he helped the girls fish out their several articles of luggage. "I know you have done a lot for her and she speaks very highly of you."

"We look after each other," Regan replied with a smile, then smirked. "Though I'm jealous there were five of you to put up with her. When there's just one of me, she can be a bit of a handful."

Cye's ocean-green eyes lit up with humor. "My condolences. I should have sent along some care instructions."

"That would have been helpful."

"Standing _right_ here, guys," Robyn grouched, gaining their attention. "And I'll have you know neither one of _you_ are a walk in the park either. You're lucky I love both of you dorks very much."

They each grinned at her as Kento picked up a very heavy-looking suitcase with ease. "This the last one?"

"I think so." Robyn inspected the pile, making a mental inventory.

"So, one of those bags has the goods, right?"

Robyn didn't know what he meant at first, but then laughed. "Oh, yeah, of course! There should be a duffel somewhere with all the cookies."

"What cookies?" Regan asked, looking up.

"You know, all those Girl Scout cookies I bought for the guys," Robyn replied as she dug around.

Four years ago, Robyn had sent the guys Girl Scout cookies for the fun of it, and was surprised to immediately get a response asking for more. Then she felt their abject disappointment that those amazing American treats were seasonal. Since then, every one of them—even Sage—put in an order weeks ahead of time, and hounded her until the boxes were shipped to Japan. This time, it made her feel good to deliver their order in person.

"The cookies that were sitting on the kitchen table when we left?" Regan asked with brows drawn.

Robyn stared at her friend. "No, I put them in the bag. Didn't I?" The color drained from her face. "I swear I packed them."

The wave of disappointment that flooded through the group was tangible. Everyone seemed to be picturing a pile of forgotten cookie boxes left on the counter so, so far away.

"You _left_ them?" Rowen's voice was full of hurt and betrayal. "I e-mailed you yesterday to remind you!"

"I did, too!" Kento blurted. "How could you forget them?"

"I know, I know." Robyn rubbed her forehead in worry. She had pretty much received a reminder from everyone to bring them. These guys were serious about their Girl Scout cookies and she had let them down big time.

"No, no. I distinctly remember, I put the boxes in the blue duffel," she insisted. Then looked desperately to Regan. "You grabbed that bag, right?"

Regan's face was as stone. "I didn't know we were bringing that bag."

Robyn fell apart right before the other woman's eyes. "Rae! If we packed all those bags, what would make you think we wouldn't be bringing that one? Why didn't you say anything! Why—just... I can't even..."

Robyn looked fit to tear someone's hair out, hers or Regan's, it was anyone's guess. Cye put a gentle hand on the redhead's shoulder.

"It's okay, Robyn. You can send them to us later." He glanced as his comrades. None of them looked happy at the situation. They were all trying hard to bravely school their disappointment.

"Six months later?" Robyn's voice rose an octave. "No, I can't believe I left them! I just—"

Regan was now smiling, holding up a blue duffel bag.

Robyn stared at her, wide eyed, with fingers clenching and unclenching as if ready to do physical harm. "Regan Sundari, I will _kill_ you!"

At that point, Regan broke down laughing. "Your faces! Oh my gosh, Robyn! You looked like you were going to have a heart attack!"

"I was!" she barked back, stealing the bag away from her ex best friend. Robyn hugged the duffel to her chest, feeling the comforting sharp points of the cookie boxes pressing against her. "Thank God. Don't scare me like that again, you ass."

"Relax, Robyn, you're fine," Regan insisted, still extremely amused. "I wouldn't let you forget your cookies."

She looked up at the rest of the group to see that Robyn wasn't the only one glowering at her because of her prank. Mia, however, seemed to share the amusement of the joke while the blue-haired guy—she had forgotten his name already—had that universal 'damn, she got us good' look that was both sheepish and somewhat impressed. But the others were definitely glaring at her, especially Kento, who was giving her an impressive stink eye.

Regan grinned and said, "You've decided you can't trust me, haven't you?"

"Damn straight," he shot back. "You don't joke around about those cookies. That's precious goods you've got there, and if you forgot 'em, then it's back on the plane for you."

Robyn was kneeling in the middle of the terminal, already unzipping the bag to make double sure the cookies were there. She was treated to the gorgeous view of brightly-colored boxes.

"Yes!" Kento then announced, snatching up a box of Samoas and tearing into them.

"Don't give them to Kento!" Cye protested. "He's going to eat them all before we even get to the car!"

Now more collected, Robyn handed the duffel to Cye for safe keeping. "That's Kento's box anyway. If he eats them all he just won't have any for later."

At that cue, the group all helped to grab different articles of luggage before they trouped to the parking lot. In the underground lot, it was quieter and much easier to hear Kento's phone ping twice from his pocket. With a cookie still in his mouth, he paused to check the phone.

This caused Ryo to pause and do the same. Once again, his disappointment showed when he found no new messages.

"I'm going to text her again," he announced.

Kento swallowed his mouthful. "No you're not, Ryo. It's time to let it go. She's not texting you back. You're just going to end up being her creepy stalker."

Wildfire looked appalled. "No, I'm not."

"Then leave her alone."

"But I just want to talk to her!"

"That's it," Mia cut them off, standing in their midst. "This is not phone time, this is family time. Give." She held out her hand and Ryo, used to following her direction, obediently handed over his phone with a huff.

Kento's cell pinged again and Mia turned her attention on him. "Yours, too."

"Ugh, come on, Mia! Stop treating me like a kid!"

"Phone. Now, please."

Even Hardrock wasn't immune to her authority and dropped it in her hand with a frown.

"Now go." Mia pointed to the direction behind them where their blond companion was headed to his car. "You're both with Sage."

The two warriors looked at each other, but neither had it in them to argue their case. They slouched off to do as they were told.

All bags were packed in the trunk by the time Mia returned to her own car. She sat herself in the driver's seat as everyone else piled in: Cye in the passenger side and Regan and Robyn in the back. Rowen suddenly slid himself in the back as well, squishing Robyn in the middle with an "I'm coming with you guys."

Cye looked mildly annoyed at the extra passenger, as he still did from time to time on issues involving Rowen.

"I don't blame you," Mia said. "Between the two of them, I'd rather be in this car, too. Poor Sage."

"Why? What's going on?" Robyn asked.

"Girl problems," Rowen grinned.

"Both of them?" Robyn asked in surprise.

"Before we get into that," Mia interrupted. "Where are we going?"

"Oh! I've got the address on my phone." Regan dug it out of her pocket and swiped through the screen before handing it to the driver.

Mia then promptly put the address in her GPS system. "I'm going to send this address to Ro—" She stopped herself, reminded that Rowen was in her car. And the other two didn't have their phones, so... "Poor Sage," she repeated as she texted him the address.

"He can handle it," Rowen said. "If he can handle me, he can handle anything."

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Cye muttered.

Mia chuckled as she started the car.

"So, girl problems," Robyn said, tugging on Rowen's sleeve. "I want to hear about this."

Rowen seemed amused at her interest and was all too happy to dish. "Kento's been trying to break up with his girlfriend and she's having none of it."

"That girl he's been dating? Why is he leaving her?"

"Don't even make that sympathetic face, Robyn. You weren't there. They were dating for over a year, they gave it their best shot, but it was not a healthy relationship for either of them. And now we're seeing just how destructive and crazy this girl is."

"Yeah?" Robyn asked, wondering just how bad it was.

Rowen grinned. "Remind me to tell you some stories."

"So what does Ryo have to do with it?"

"Ryo has his own problems. There's this girl he has been dating for almost two years. We thought he was going to marry her. Then, out of the blue, she leaves _him_."

Robyn gaped, appalled that any girl in their right mind would drop one of her guys. "She left Ryo? What's wrong with her?"

Rowen shrugged. "I'm not sure if Ryo even knows. He keeps trying to talk to her about it, but she's having none of it. We're trying to get him just to let it go. But you know Ryo, letting go is not something he does easily."

Robyn nodded, almost absently. Her boys were all grown up, getting married and having girl problems. She suddenly felt immature and young, as if they had grown up without her on this island country while she stayed the same.

"Got a text from Jude," Regan announced as she checked her phone. "Wanting to know if we made it to Japan okay."

Rowen nodded in her direction. "Boyfriend?"

Robyn grinned. "That's her brother."

Regan laughed at her phone. "Jude says to let all of you know he won't take kindly to any inappropriate behavior towards _his_ Robyn."

Rowen raised an eyebrow at the redhead. "Boyfriend?"

Breathing out loud and wistful, Robyn said, "Oh, to be one of the many, many who have dated Jude. Yes, that is my goal in life."

To that, Rowen placed an arm around her shoulder. "Well, you can tell Brother that Robyn's none of his concern and she is in _very_ capable hands."

Regan decided to do one better and quickly snapped a picture of the two—to which Rowen snuggled in even closer. Robyn tried to look merely tolerant, but the truth was that she greatly enjoyed Rowen's proximity and to hear his voice again.

With a grin, Regan sent her reply and it was almost instantly responded to with a row of exclamation marks. She showed it to Robyn and they all laughed.

In the front, Mia glanced at Cye, taking note of the contented smile that played on his features. He had not said much, but everything else about him spoke volumes. To Cye, his family was complete now and he couldn't be happier. Mia smiled as well, happy that he was happy.

* * *

It was Regan's job that had brought her to Japan, and with her, she brought Robyn. As such, her company had a small two bedroom townhouse for the girls to stay in for the duration of the project. The building was nicer than either of the girls expected. The style was still Japanese, but the amount of square inch per room resembled Western housing development.

"This place is so empty," Mia complained as she stepped inside with the girls. Yes, the building was nice, but it didn't have a scrap of furniture.

"Eh, we'll be okay until we can pick up some stuff," Robyn said as she looked at the wide, open space of the living room. "I've slept in worse."

"It's going to get a little better," Kento said as he and Ryo brought in piles of blankets and futon mats.

The redhead's face lit up. "Awesome! You guys are amazing."

"Tell it to Sage," Ryo said as they walked past to drop their loads into the bedrooms, "he's the one who's letting you use them."

Sage was in the doorway, setting down the two bags he had in his arms. "We had several extras at the house no one was using, so…"

Robyn hugged him around the torso, cutting him off. "You are awesome."

"At last. My one true goal in life is achieved."

"Guess who else is awesome," Cye announced as he walked in behind them carrying bags of groceries."

Robyn's face of sheer delight lit up the whole room at the sight of food, real food.

"Holy crap!" Regan announced as she noticed what Cye had in his arms. "You brought food!"

"I told you, my friends are amazing," Robyn said as Torrent stepped behind the kitchen counter to unpack the groceries and put it in proper storage areas.

"And I'm buying dinner," Kento announced, checking for his cell, only to find it gone. "Or I would if someone didn't take my phone."

"I'll order," Mia responded to his accusing look. "What are we getting?"

"Eh, it will have to be something cheap. I saw a pizza place just down the road."

Regan, who was standing near the conversation, looked profoundly disappointed. "Pizza?"

"What's wrong with pizza?" Kento said.

"I didn't come all the way to Japan for pizza."

"You still have plenty of time to take in the local cuisine. Just not on my yen."

That was true, and Regan knew better than to complain about free food. She remembered her manners, thanked Kento for buying and went off to haul one of the bags into her bedroom.

As Mia and Kento worked on the food order, Robyn wandered from her room onto the back porch to check out the view. There was a large patch of grass in the back that served as a community yard for several other buildings adjacent to theirs. Hands shoved in the pockets of her jeans, she gazed at the buildings of the city and the thick mountains in the distance. There she stood for several moments; the hum of the people inside behind her seemed as a separate entity from her world as she took everything in.

Eventually, she became aware of a presence behind her before he joined her shoulder to shoulder on the porch. Robyn didn't have to look over to see who it was. Even after six years, she knew the presence of each one by heart. Each one of them came with a power, a certain vibe, and they all felt differently to her.

"What are you thinking about?"

That was new. Sage had never asked her what she was thinking; it was always the other way around. Robyn gave him a quick glance—she still couldn't believe how much taller he had become since last she saw him—and then continued to gaze out at the world.

"I forgot how old this country is. How you can sometimes feel the history of this place like a tangible weight."

Sage had a moment of uncomfortable nostalgia as the hairs on the back of his neck went up, something that would happen from time to time when in her presence. As a teenager, it unnerved him. As an adult, he recognized what he was feeling was an uncanny kinship to the way she perceived the world around her.

"I can understand that feeling," he said softly. "Sometimes the city feels so..."

"Restless," Robyn ended for him. The two looked at each other in surprise at the sudden common ground they could never find when they were young.

She quickly shrugged off her shock as fast as it came. "It just makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up sometimes. Weird, I know."

Robyn quickly turned and stepped back into the house, leaving Sage slightly wide-eyed outside, one hand aloft in the air as if meant to stop her retreat. Not even an hour in this country, and she was already throwing him curve balls again. He never could get a real grasp of that girl; who she was, what made her tick. It really wasn't that different from why Sage and Rowen remained friends. As annoying as Strata could be at times, Rowen was a constant surprise. Sage could never guess what was going to pop out of his best friend's mouth and that was why he liked him.

Now Halo had one more opportunity to embrace this girl for what she was instead of judge her. He hoped this time he would do it right. Stepping back inside, he almost ran into Ryo as Wildfire walked around the townhome, pausing to check the lock and glance out at the green space the other buildings shared.

"It's fairly enclosed," Sage said.

"Locks are pretty flimsy," Ryo commented. He shut them inside, flipped the lock, and reopened the door. "I'll pick up a bar to keep this shut, just in case."

"I'll bring something from the dojo."

"Everything okay?" Regan asked. They were speaking in Japanese so she couldn't understand what they were saying, but the way they spoke had her concerned.

The two glanced at each other.

"Uh, we were just talking about the locks," Ryo answered for them.

"They're just being safety freaks, it's how they show they care," Robyn cut in, grabbing Regan's shoulder and steering her off down the hall to continue moving bags. To the boys she hissed, "The locks are _fine_ , the neighborhood is fine. Don't mess with this house, we don't own it."

To that, Sage's mouth ticked up a little while Ryo gave her a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am."

The doorbell rang, and Kento brought the pizzas inside a moment later. They sat in a rough circle on the tatami mats amidst the luggage and bags, a few boxes of Girl Scout cookies scattered among the pizza boxes. Robyn happily wedged herself between Cye and Ryo, feeling the earlier negative thoughts plaguing her dissipate as the room filled with the sound of their voices, seeming to burst at the seams with their presence.

"I'd be happy to take you both to some places to find nice, inexpensive things to make it feel a little more like home," Mia offered the girls as they tucked in.

"Thank you, Mia," Robyn said with Regan echoing the sentiment, "that would be fun! But I don't know how much we'd want to take in. We'd either have to ship it home, give it away or sell it. You didn't buy much on your last assignment, did you, Rae?"

"No, nothing that couldn't fit in one suitcase. It was a much shorter project, though."

"What work do you do that brought you to Japan, Regan?" Cye asked.

"I work for a design firm as an architectural engineer."

"Nice." Rowen lifted his slice of pizza.

Amused, Regan lifted hers in thanks. "The office here is a branch of the same company I work for. A few times a year, project managers within the firm will put out a call for an international team to work for a client, and when this project showed up last fall, I put together a portfolio for a spot on the team."

"What's the project?" Rowen asked.

The brunette's face brightened. She put down her pizza, gesturing as she talked. "It's an apartment complex, but the client wants a lot of communal spaces added to it, like a library, a solarium, and a rooftop community garden. He wants each floor to have a different architectural theme, hence the international team. The challenge is keeping the building costs low enough to maintain affordable rent so it's accessible to a wider socioeconomic range, so part of my job is taking the creative ideas of the architects and finding ways to make it work in the most cost efficient way possible." Regan stopped herself when she caught Robyn grinning at her. A little embarrassed at geeking out, she composed herself and finished quickly with, "So I'm here for the duration of the construction." She paused, glanced around and then added, "I think it's Robyn's turn to share."

"Yeah, what's it like in a day in the life of Robyn?" Cye asked.

"Ugh, boring," the redhead snorted. "I work, I eat, I sleep. That's pretty much it. Right now, not even working, so I'll be looking into that as soon as we get settled."

"Anything specific in mind?"

Robyn dug around the pizza boxes. "Meh, I'll take whatever. It will just be something temporary. You know me, I'm flexible."

Cye opened his mouth to, most likely, give his usual Cye-like motherly advice, but Robyn beat him when she caught the eye of Halo sitting across from her.

"Sage, did I hear correctly that you got your business degree?"

The blond nodded. "Yes. I am also taking over the dojo soon."

"He uses his degree to play the stock market," Rowen added.

"Kendo, correct?" Regan asked. Sage nodded. She didn't feel comfortable asking him anymore questions, so she turned to Cye. "Robyn mentioned that you spend some time in the ocean for your job."

"He saves the whales," Rowen mumbled between bites of pizza.

"He saves more than whales," Mia shot back, playfully swatting Strata.

Cye rolled his eyes. "I work in marine research and on the veterinary team at the local marine wildlife rescue."

"He's in the ocean all the time, anyways," Kento remarked. "Might as well make some money while he's at it."

"What's that like?" Regan asked, intrigued.

"Incredible." Passion that echoed Regan's earlier gushing lit the man's face, turning his boy-next-door good looks into something striking. "I recently got back from a four week outing in the Okinawa Prefecture, where there's a beautiful coral reef system in need of protection." As he elaborated, Mia watched him with a fond smile and Cye's arm eventually found its way around her shoulders.

Robyn nudged Ryo on the shoulder, and when he leaned toward her, she whispered, "They're so freaking adorable!" Wildfire, who had been uncharacteristically quiet the entire time, merely smiled and nodded.

Robyn watched as that dark brooding face he had been wearing earlier fell back in place and she nudged him again. "Everything okay?"

He smiled at her, though it was pained, and shrugged his shoulders. "It's fine," was all he said.

Probably the girl problems Rowen mentioned earlier. Robyn wanted to ask, but she felt it wasn't her place to get into his business, especially fresh off the plane after being gone for six years. Instead, she just leaned her head companionably on Wildfire's shoulder. When Cye finished talking about his work, Robyn reached out with her foot and nudged Kento on the leg. "You're taking over the restaurant, aren't you?"

"Got a few more years before that, but yeah, I'm doing a lot more behind the scenes work for Ma."

"Family restaurant?" Regan guessed.

"Yup. You ladies come by, I'll hook you up with some good food. Might not be Japanese cuisine, but it'll get the job done." He winked at the brunette to let her know he was kidding.

"It's so yummy," Robyn confirmed.

"Girl, you haven't had it in six years, how would you know?"

"Did everyone in your family forget how to cook?"

"You know, he still never cooks for us," Rowen lamented.

" _You_ never cook for anyone either and I damn well know you can," Kento fired back. Rowen smirked at him unapologetically.

"Always the same excuse when it's your turn," Cye said, his eyes sparkling with humor.

"I have a class to teach," Kento and Cye mimicked at the same time. Mia's laughter rang out.

"I do!" Rowen insisted.

Sage dabbed his mouth with a napkin and said, "One class, Rowen."

"Does my research mean nothing to you people?"

"Are you a full professor now?" Robyn asked, her voice wobbling in an effort to contain her laughter.

Rowen was still giving Sage a dirty look when he answered. "No, I'm an adjunct assistant. I primarily do research in theoretical physics. Which is time-consuming, mentally taxing work that none of these peons understand."

"So much more important than saving lives, like Ryo," Kento jabbed back.

Robyn's gaze swung to the raven-haired leader. He looked down at his pizza, a little self-conscious at Kento's phrasing. "I'm just an EMT."

"Just?" Robyn and Regan said simultaneously. "That's an amazing, important job, Ryo," Robyn said, squeezing his arm.

"Don't shortchange yourself," Regan added. "How long have you been doing that?"

"About four years. I volunteer at the local fire station, too."

Robyn suddenly snorted at that, mystifying Regan.

"Ryo had an obsession with fire back in high school," Robyn explained.

The brunette chuckled. "Am I looking at a reformed arsonist?"

"He never reformed," Rowen said.

"You guys suck," Ryo told them and everyone laughed.

Mia next took her turn to explain what she did with her time and Regan was curious about her.

The only woman in this group of men. According to Robyn, Mia was a few years older than all of them, but the guys had known her while in high school. How they happened to meet, Regan had no idea. Robyn wasn't all that sure either. But clearly, Mia had forged a bond with these men that had only grown stronger with time. Strong enough for her to fall in love with one of them. She even worked at the same university as Rowen—hopefully Regan could remember his name now—in historical research.

Regan then watched Robyn as she drank everyone in like an island marooned survivor given fresh water, and wondered not for the first time at the self-imposed distance that kept her best friend from such a group.

"I don't get to see them all in one place anymore as much as I'd like," Mia confessed, bringing Regan back to the conversation. "Rowen, I think I see you the most often."

"I'm pretty sure you see Cye more than me."

"As it should be," Torrent sniffed.

Mia hugged him from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder. "Only because he lives with me. If he lived in the city, I'd never see him with his crazy schedule. They've called him out in the middle of the night before for emergency rescues. It's hard to get him away from that ocean sometimes." She kissed his cheek.

"Speaking of work," Kento announced as he checked his watch, "I need to go, I've got an early morning tomorrow."

"Same," Ryo said as he stood. "I should be in bed soon."

Robyn popped up as they all murmured similar agreements and gathered themselves to leave. She followed them to the door, hugging them each individually and thanking them for coming.

This time, Kento rode with Cye and Mia—after Ryo retrieved his phone—while the others hopped into Sage's car to be taken to their respective homes.

"That was nice," Mia said as they pulled out of the parking lot. "I'm glad everyone was free this evening. It's not often we can all get together like that. And you all looked so happy to see your friend again. It was cute."

"Yeah?" Kento asked from the back seat with a raise of his brow. Then he shrugged. "I'm just glad she's doing okay and not face down in a gutter somewhere. To be honest, those first few months she left, I half expected to hear that something happened to her."

Cye's silent, clenched jaw mirrored the same sentiment. Mia recalled that time several years ago. All five of them had really been in a snit over it. Quite often they would show up at her house either alone or in groups to vent and blow off steam out in the wilderness. Mia had half a mind to hunt that girl down and give her a good talking to back then, but that was long ago and everything had moved forward for the better it seemed.

"Robyn was actually looking real good, don't you think?" Kento then asked.

Cye nodded, inwardly quite pleased she appeared to be taking good care of herself. "You should have told her that. I think she would have appreciated it."

"I'll do it the next time I see her—whenever that is. I'm stuck at work all the rest of the week."

"I was going to take her out to lunch the day after tomorrow if you can manage to get away for an hour," Cye offered.

Mia glanced at her fiancé. "Honey, remember that's the day you have that elementary class visiting the center. And then we were going to look at flowers for the wedding."

"Right," Torrent sighed. "Sorry, love, slipped my mind. We'll figure something out soon."

"Not like she's going somewhere for the next few months," Kento smirked. "We've got time. Just so long as, this time, she doesn't have anything following her here."

Cye frowned, about to tell his friend off for the poor humor. But there was something deep down in his gut that worried about that as well.

* * *

Robyn lingered long at the door after they left. She would have loved to bask in their presence all night, but they had lives and jobs they needed to return to. Likewise, she and Regan were going to have a tough next day or two getting used to the different time zone in between unpacking all their belongings. Still, she would be willing to forego all adult responsibilities to be next to them a little longer.

"Awww..." came Regan's annoying voice from behind her. "You miss them already. So cute."

Robyn was still in too good a mood to be irritated with her teasing. "I just wanna put them all in my pocket and keep them forever."

"I don't blame you. They seem like really nice guys. I can't believe how much they did for us already."

Robyn beamed as she finally closed the door and faced the empty but cluttered living room. "I know. They're all just big sweeties, even when they're trying to pretend they're not."

Regan matched Robyn's grin with a much wider one. "And you were trailing after them all like a love-struck puppy. I have never seen you act like that. You had this stupid grin on your face the entire time. I'm surprised you even remembered I was here."

Robyn instantly frowned. "I was not that bad."

"Oh, I have proof." Regan instantly pulled out her phone and brought up the video she had shot earlier at the airport.

Robyn watched the taped reunion in confusion. "When did you even film this?"

"See? You didn't even notice I had my phone out. All you could see was your five boyfriends." Regan laughed in adoration. "Look at your cute little dorky face. You are so happy to see them."

By now, Robyn's cheeks were bright red with embarrassment, but she had no comeback. Seeing them again returned her to that happy haze she had been floating in all afternoon. Then, the camera began to waver from the scene as a whole and wander to each of the young men individually, looking them up and down. It was faint, but there was a soft sound of approval from Rae's voice as the camera panned over Ryo's broad shoulders before settling on his ass.

When the screen landed on Kento, there was an audible "Damn" from Regan as she zoomed in on his impressive biceps.

Robyn was appalled. "Regan! You saw them for five seconds and you were already perving on my friends?"

Now it was Regan's turn to look sheepish. "I couldn't help it. You didn't warn me they would all be so good looking. Even your friend Sage. I mean, you told me he was pretty, but I did not believe until I beheld him with my own eyes. I mean, holy crap, girl."

"I swear I didn't leave them that way."

Regan snorted. "I'm way sure they weren't hags in high school, Robyn."

"The way I love them has nothing to do with their looks." She glanced at the phone while the video continued to play. "Am I even _in_ this anymore?"

"Of course you are, there's your elbow. Oh wait, that's Mia's."

Robyn sighed heavily and went off down the hall to the bathroom. Regan shut off the video and trailed after.

"I'm just saying I don't know why you left this group of good-looking guys who clearly care about you," Regan said as she appeared in the bathroom doorway.

Robyn paused from putting things away in the bathroom cabinet to stare at herself in the mirror. "You know why," she said softly. Then added, "And if I didn't come back to the states, who would look after you? Your brother? Please."

Regan laughed and hugged her friend. "That's right, what would we do without each other?"

The redhead let her head rest on Regan's shoulder as her earlier thoughts about Japan crept back in. "I don't want to know. I really am glad to be back. It's just…"

"Scary. But they seem to have really missed you; you worried over nothing. Now you can enjoy yourself."

"You, too." Robyn drew back and grinned. "All work and no play makes Rae a dull girl."

"Robyn, I can't believe you're quoting a scary movie."

"I live with you, I feel like I've absorbed them by osmosis. Did you take your meds? Jet lag is going to kick your ass if you don't keep track of when you last took them."

Regan waved her off and walked down the hall. "Yes, and I'm fine. I'm not as tired as I thought I'd be, so I'm going to unpack a little, set up the futons your boyfriends gave us, and play music. Sound all right?"

"And make sure you drink water!" Robyn called after her.

"Yes, ma'am! I love it when you boss me around."

Robyn smiled to herself as music began to play from the kitchen in their new home for the next six months. It was still hard to believe she was here, in this old country of her birth, in this place where she had found such dear friends and then left them all behind. Despite her hesitations, she felt blessed at the opportunity to be near her boys again. She wanted to see them smile, see how they've grown and found their places in the world. That would satisfy her, to see for herself that they were happy. She would take advantage of this opportunity and spend as much time with them as she could. And, this time around, everything would be normal.


	2. Chapter 2

**Urban Legend**

 **Chapter Two**

There were animal organs in the sink.

A heart in a plastic container. A liver in a black and white checkered bowl. What looked suspiciously like a brain, marinating in a white porcelain bowl with cheerful yellow daisies circling the rim.

Ryo ignored what was going on in that sink, along with the coppery smell of blood permeating the kitchen, as he worked.

"I sell them, you know."

He looked up at the thin, wiry older man he was attending to. Mr. Ishikura stared back at him with small, sharp eyes, his voice conversational. As if Ryo were passing the time with him on an elevator instead of sitting in the man's kitchen, cleaning the blood off of his mangled hand to inspect the damage underneath.

"Yes, you mentioned that you're a butcher, Mr. Ishikura."

"A butcher who knows better than to stick his hand in a blender," Mr. Ishikura's wife scolded from the doorway.

"If I hadn't been distracted," he shot back.

"It's my fault?"

"Mrs. Ishikura, why don't we step outside and wait for my partner to finish up?" Misao, Ryo's EMT partner, smiled brightly at the woman and gently steered her out of the kitchen. His voice trailed behind him as he asked her, "Did you want to ride in the ambulance with your husband?"

" _No._ "

"My fingers slipped," the man told Ryo. "I turned the damned thing on without even realizing."

"Accidents happen," Ryo assured him. He could make sense of the damage now; a deep gash in the elder's left palm, smaller cuts on two of his fingers, a deep cut on his thumb that would need stitches. Mr. Ishikura's pointer finger, from his PIP joint to the tip of his finger, was nearly shredded, the skin torn off, bloody and exposing tissue underneath. Ryo's gloved hands were slick with the man's blood, and he wrapped the hand carefully to prepare for the journey to the ambulance. "It's just a matter of being careful in the future, Mr. Ishikura."

"I know. Would have been more careful if the woman would let me work."

Ryo suppressed a smile at his sheer put-out tone. The offending blender was on the table next to them. The inside was splattered with blood, red streaks trailing down the sides and onto the wooden table. Next to Ryo's elbow sat a platter filled with unidentifiable pink globs. He couldn't help but give them a glance as Misao came back in to help him.

"Those are sweetbreads," Ishikura said.

Ryo blinked at him. Misao also glanced at the platter and, over the elderly man's head, shook his head slowly with a wince. Ryo actually thought it looked like something White Blaze wouldn't mind munching on; not something called sweetbreads.

"Pancreas, boy."

Wildfire coughed to cover a laugh at his partner's look of horror.

He stayed in the back of the ambulance with Mr. Ishikura while Misao drove. The butcher remained surprisingly quiet and showed little sign of pain, which disconcerted Ryo—he only rated his pain at a five, and it had to hurt like hell—but it could very well be shock. He gave the butcher something for the pain, regardless.

"Am I gonna lose that finger, son?"

Ryo shook his head. "No, you don't have to worry about that. You'd be surprised at how many people have accidents with immersion blenders, but I haven't seen anyone lose a finger yet."

Ishikura grunted with relief.

When he saw the butcher off at the emergency room, it surprised Ryo that it was only nine in the morning. Normally his days went by a lot faster, but this one, which had started at midnight, seemed to be dragging. He had another fifteen hours to go before his shift was over.

"I can think of a dozen better ways to start a Tuesday morning," Misao sighed next to him as they walked back to the ambulance in the ER loading dock.

"You don't cut up animal organs first thing in the morning?" Ryo teased. "Or try to blend your hand?"

Misao shuddered again. "He had to be a butcher. Why would you do that in your kitchen? Turned my stomach, man."

"So you don't want breakfast?"

"Don't tell me you can eat after that horror show."

Ryo shrugged.

"Sanada, what is _wrong_ with you?"

Ryo grinned crookedly as he opted to drive them to find a place to eat. He couldn't very well tell Misao that he picked up meat for his tiger on the regular. That he'd been in worse circumstances with more gruesome visuals that didn't stave his appetite, because he couldn't afford to let it.

That part of his life seemed so far away now, and yet…yet not at all sometimes. Sometimes, it felt like it was just at the edge of his vision, or right around the corner, ready to pounce when he least expected it. Ryo couldn't tell if that was a trick of memory, or if it had something to do with the unpredictability of his job, or if there was any basis to it at all. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened in years. That could very well be it. He wouldn't be the first warrior to question such a long period of peace.

Or maybe it was a response to the other turmoil in Ryo's life. If he could even call it that. He would prefer turmoil over what he was being dealt.

Work had been eventful enough to keep Ryo's mind occupied, but as soon as they sat down to eat, as soon as he switched out of the focused headspace he went into when he was answering a call, the urge came over him again.

Don't do it, he warned himself. Don't check it.

His hand went into his pocket.

Wildfire could hear his teammates admonishing him. Leave. It. Alone. He hesitated when his fingers grasped the cool surface of the phone.

It'll only take a second, he reasoned with the other Ronins in his mind. What's the harm?

Your sanity, he reminded himself. Ryo didn't consider himself to be someone attached to his phone. He wasn't big on social media. Rowen talked him into a Facebook account that he never used, and he had no idea what Strata was talking about when he went on about something funny he saw on Vine or Twitter. Ryo used his phone to call someone and send the occasional text. It was a device to stay in touch with his friends and his work, and he had no other uses for it. He never used to obsessively check it for anything, even…even in the beginning of his and Natsuki's relationship, when things were good.

Now he checked it first thing in the morning. Right before bed. In between emergency calls. Like he was attempting to do right now.

He hadn't heard from her in four weeks.

Not a thing since she broke it off.

With a measure of disgust at himself, he pulled the phone from his pocket and checked it. There was a text message, but it was from Kento. Nothing from Natsuki.

The disappointment still cut as deep as it had the day she left him.

He put Natsuki out of his mind, and only successfully did so because another call came in. One stroke victim and a car accident later, Ryo finally had enough downtime to catch a little sleep. He forgot to respond to Kento, and vowed to get to it later. It was so difficult to keep in touch with anyone during these long shifts unless it was terribly urgent.

It wasn't until Ryo had collapsed into a cot in one of the rooms tucked away at the hospital for personnel that he attempted to recall how long it had been since he saw Robyn.

Had it been...two weeks now? Longer than that? He felt a twinge of guilt. It wasn't for lack of wanting; it was for lack of time. His days off were filled with all the errands and chores he just couldn't see to when he was working, and before he knew it, he'd lost the entire day and never had a chance to stop by to see her.

She has her friend, he told himself, but even as he thought it he knew it was a paltry excuse. Robyn came all this way, and he hadn't made the effort he could have to spend time with her. To really get to know her after the long separation, see how the years have treated her. All of his energy had been focused on Natsuki, on a dead relationship that had no hope of rekindling.

Ryo took a deep breath and scrubbed his hands over his face. He was exhausted, but his mind wouldn't shut down to let him sleep. Why wasn't it enough to have his job, his friends, and Robyn coming back? Why did he have to cling so hard to this one failure?

His heart was still heavy and confused when he finally fell asleep. And when he woke again an hour and a half later, the lead weight of it waited for him.

He checked his phone again.

"Stop it," Ryo said firmly to himself. What did he think he would accomplish by checking his phone to see if she returned his call or texted? He was only winding himself up even more. He hadn't told the guys that he broke down and tried to call her last week…multiple times. But it was like shouting into a void.

I could stop by her work, he thought suddenly as he hefted himself from the cot. But then he blanched, remembering Kento's accusation that he was being a stalker. If Natsuki would just _talk_ to him, though! She didn't even give him a chance to fix the problem, to try to do better. A two-year relationship just over. If she would just let him fight for her, fighting was the one thing he knew how to do.

When midnight came around for the end of Ryo's shift, he even considered driving by her apartment, despite the stupidly late hour. Natsuki was a night owl; she'd be awake. And she always used to complain about being so tired, yet no matter how many times Ryo tried to remind her to take better care of herself and get a decent amount of sleep, she ignored him.

"Sanada."

Ryo paused from his walk out of the ER waiting area. His supervisor was behind him.

"We got a call off. Can you and Misao stay on for another ten? I've got no one else who can pull this, and a call just came in for a head trauma."

You need the distraction, anyway, he thought, even as his body sighed with weariness. "Yeah, I'll stay."

* * *

Ryo woke up with a start. It didn't feel terribly late, but the room was dark from the blackout curtains he used to help him sleep when he had night shifts. He had no idea what time it was or what woke him, but he realized he hadn't even bothered taking his pants off when he collapsed into bed that morning. God, it had been a long night. He was so disoriented that it took him a full minute to realize that his phone was vibrating on the bedside dresser.

Wildfire groaned and rolled to his side to grab it. He glanced at the screen, sighed, and swiped it to answer. "Hey, Rowen."

"I've been texting you all day. What are you doing? I know you're not at work."

Ryo groaned and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I've been _sleeping_ , Rowen."

"You're done sleeping. Come over."

Strata sounded way too energetic for how Ryo felt. He took the phone away from his ear to check the time. Four in the afternoon. "Is this important?"

"Of course it is. I only call when it's important. Come to my place."

Silence from the other end.

"Ryo?"

"I don't believe you."

"Look, just come over. We're doing some _experiments_. It will be fun."

"Bye, Rowen. I'm going back to sleep."

"Wait! Wait! There's going to be food, lots of food. You can't say no to that."

Ryo flopped back on the bed, free arm draped over his eyes. "I can feed myself."

"Everyone else is coming. Robyn's going to be there, her hot friend, too, whatsherface. Come on."

Ryo's heart panged with guilt. Wasn't he just berating himself for not putting forth more of an effort to spend time with her? With all the people that were important to him?

"What time?" he sighed.

"We're meeting around five."

"I'll try to be there by six." Ryo promptly hung up, turned off his phone and buried his face back into the pillow.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to brave whatever Rowen's cooking?" Mia teased.

Cye snorted as he dropped a plastic bag of red onions into the cart. "I don't plan on letting you starve tonight, love. I have a feeling we'll need to bring real food after Rowen's finished with whatever shenanigans he has planned."

Mia grinned as she tore another plastic bag off the role and plucked an artichoke from the row of vegetables. Cye's heart warmed at how excited she was; she fairly danced around the produce aisle.

"I'm sure it will be fine, Cye. Rowen knows how to feed people."

"Not according to Kento." Cye showed her a text from aforementioned Hardrock that simply said, _You should probably pick up some real food before you stop by Rowen's_.

Mia laughed. "Do we even know what exactly he's attempting to do in the kitchen tonight? I'm so curious."

"I'm sure we'll find out when we get there."

"Robyn's coming, too, right?" Mia then asked. "We've hardly seen her since she's been here. We've been so busy."

"That's what Rowen says. I haven't had a chance to text her to confirm. Been trying to get everything done early so we had a chance to stop by the store."

"I'm sure she'll be there." Mia squeezed his arm and walked off down another aisle. "At any rate, I still plan on asking her if she'd like to come with us to look at those two venues."

"She'd like that."

"What else is on the list?"

"Food I am not letting Rowen touch," Cye muttered as he scanned over the list.

"Oh, admit it; you're just as happy to go as I am. Even if he's 'wasting perfectly good food,'" she finished, mimicking his British accent.

Cye gave her a sarcastic laugh. "Keep that up and I'll volunteer you to try Rowen's cooking first."

Mia's brief look of horror gave Cye exactly the ammunition he needed.

"That, that look right there. That's why we're bringing our own groceries. You'll be thanking me, I'll bet my life on it."

The tall brunette gave him an amused look. "Always making sure I'm well fed. My hero."

* * *

For the first time since the job officially started, Regan made it home at a decent hour.

Walking in the door before five felt like it deserved a celebration. And celebrating would probably entail getting Robyn out of the house to eat at a restaurant and then Skyping with one of their friends back home, or her twin brother. Maybe read a book for pleasure. God, she partied hard.

Robyn was probably home; she usually was. The redhead had found a job working as a Japanese/English translator for a large computer company. With how well she spoke both languages with hardly an accent on either side she was well paid, but the hours were random. Instead of working a set shift, she was called in as needed to aid in conference calls, meetings, or events. It still left her with quite a bit of free time. Regan just hoped she'd find Robyn doing something productive.

That wasn't happening.

Regan went to Robyn's bedroom, then stood in the doorway and sighed.

The redhead was flopped face down on the bed, arms at her side, feet hanging off the edge.

"Again?" Regan demanded.

Robyn mumbled something into her pillow.

"Seriously, Robyn, I brought you all the way out here so you could visit your friends that you—by the way—would never shut up about. And now that you're here, I always find you moping around at home. Why don't you call one of them?"

Robyn just let out a huff of air. If only it was so easy. She used to do just that at first. As soon as they had established a cell plan in Japan she immediately began contacting them. Then, she would be lucky if a single one of them could schedule some time to spend with her. Especially after she started working herself.

It got to the point where Robyn was asking them so often that she began to feel like a pest. So, instead, she changed the plan, asking them to contact her when they had an opening in their lives. That was two weeks ago. Cye and Mia invited her over for dinner one Sunday. That was pretty much it.

It just wasn't working. The guys all had lives now—lives that didn't involve her and it was just so... depressing.

"They don't have time, Rae," she finally muttered into the mattress. "They all have more important things to do."

Regan sat herself on the edge of the mattress, tucking a strand of dark brown hair behind her ear. "Then we've got to get you a hobby or something, hon, this is just too sad."

Robyn was silent, but her friend's words struck home.

The phone beside her bed rang and Robyn answered it with a similar lack of enthusiasm.

"Hello."

"Robyn, drop everything you're doing and come over right now."

It was Rowen's voice. She immediately sat up, suddenly hopeful again. "Hey Rowen, what's going on?"

"No time to explain, just come over. Like, now. Bring your friend. Hope you haven't had dinner."

Robyn glanced at Regan. "Dinner?"

The darker haired girl shook her head.

"No, we haven't eaten." Robyn covered the receiver with her palm. "Want to go to Rowen's place? I guess he's doing dinner there or something."

Regan was instantly eager for any opportunity to pull Robyn out of her slump. "Great! Let's do it!"

"Regan's coming, too."

"Awesome!"

It was then that she could hear Kento in the background. "Is that Robyn? Give me that." A few seconds later, Kento's voice was clearer on the other end. "Rob, sorry you're getting this call so late. We're idiots. Rowen thought I texted you and I thought Rowen did. We didn't forget you, just weren't paying attention.

"Everyone else is here, except for Ryo. If he doesn't show up in the next few minutes I'm going to drive down there and wake up his ass myself. So you definitely want to come over."

"I do!" she practically squealed on the phone. "We'll be there in a bit!" After a hasty good-bye, she looked at her friend with wide, excited eyes. "They're all going to be there! Let's go!"

Regan was in the process of removing her blazer and tossing it to the side. She was trying to remember which one was Rowen.

"Faster! Change your clothes, let's go!" Robyn ordered as she swept into the bathroom to brush her hair.

"I'm going! Give me five minutes!" Regan laughed.

Robyn then tore around the townhouse like a redheaded whirlwind, muttering to herself as she changed pants, collected socks, pulled them on, regretted her choice of shirt, switched it out, and paused long enough to scrutinize herself in the bathroom mirror.

"Are you ready?" she called to Regan after _exactly_ five minutes.

"Hang on." The dark-haired girl exited her room for the bathroom to run a brush through her hair. She came back out, taking in her friend with amusement. "Look at you. You weren't even this excited on your birthday."

Robyn shook the keys to Regan's rental car at her. "Let's go, woman!"

* * *

The girls had barely knocked on Rowen's apartment door before it was flung open. Rowen's tall, wide-eyed form looked just as excited as Robyn to be there.

"Great, now we can get started! We waited just for you."

"Waited to do what, exactly?" Robyn asked.

Rowen shoved a book in her face. It looked as though it hadn't been published in the last few decades. "Look what Drunk Rowen bought me last week. I just got it in the mail today. We must try it out!"

" _Microwave Cooking for One_ ," Robyn read aloud the cover. "Ew, is this what we're eating?"

"It's what Rowen's eating," Cye called from the kitchen area where good smells were already beginning to waft over. "Rowen can eat whatever he ends up making with that... thing."

"You have no adventure in your soul," Strata accused.

Robyn had already slipped past him and hugged Cye from behind while Torrent's hands were otherwise busy in the sink as he cut raw pieces of chicken.

"So good to see you," she said with a tight squeeze. Then added in a whisper. "Thank you for feeding us."

"You know that's what I do," Cye grinned back.

"Robyn," Mia called from the balcony. "I'm so glad you could come. You, too, Regan." She was standing out in the summer dusk with Sage; both had glasses in their hands as they were enjoying an evening drink and casual conversation. Mia held up the bottle to them. "Would you two like a drink? I can't imagine trying anything Rowen makes tonight while sober."

Robyn waved her hands in a pass. "No thanks, I don't really drink."

"I do," Regan cut in, moving forward. "I will definitely take you up on that offer."

There were a few empty glasses on the small table outside and Mia poured a deep purple wine into the glass. Sage was the one that offered the drink and Regan looked a little flustered to have the attentions of his impeccable manners.

"Oh, hey babe," Kento said to Robyn, coming up the hallway. "Glad you could make it." He gave Robyn a squeeze and kissed the side of her head.

"Me, too! It's been so hard to catch you guys when you're not busy."

"Tell me about it, I suck. I've been trying to find some free time to call you, but I'm always so busy."

Robyn shrugged. "It's okay. We're all busy and we've all got crazy schedules. I'm glad most of us managed to show up."

"We all showed up," Kento corrected. He reached behind the couch to fiddle with something out of view. Ryo's hand immediately shot up, trying to slap Kento away from messing with his hair.

"Oh, hey Ryo," Robyn greeted as Kento moved off to the kitchen where he and Rowen began looking over the pages of their new treasure.

"Hey." Ryo gave her a weak smile from where he lay across the couch.

"You feeling okay?"

Ryo stood and then stretched. "Yeah, just trying to catch up on sleep. I've been working graveyard shifts lately. They're pretty rough."

"I bet. I'm glad you came over anyway. It's good to see you."

He smiled at her. "Same. I don't get to see you enough. I'll try to call you next time I'm free."

Robyn just smiled at him. They all said that. Very seldom did they ever call. She was trying to get used to that disappointment.

Regan looked at the pair from her seat at the small kitchen table, where she'd ended up after following Mia back inside, happy that Robyn was able to spend an uninterrupted night with all of her friends. Ryo, of the thick black hair and gorgeous blue eyes, looked a little worn down, but equally pleased to see Robyn. Sage had joined them by the balcony doors. She still hadn't heard more than a few sentences from him, but he exuded quite a presence. They all did, really. She looked back down at the plate of peppers in front of her. Regan had wanted to be useful, so Cye gave her green and orange peppers to cut and slice for the actual dinner. It was nice to have something to do with her hands while she grew accustomed to this new group.

"I wasn't too pleased with the way the macaroons turned out," Cye was saying, continuing their conversation on international cuisines.

"They were perfectly fine," Mia argued as she poured a little more wine in hers and Regan's glasses.

"Thank you. Macaroons can be pretty difficult, though," Regan said to Cye. "My brother likes to bake when he's stressed and the one time he tried to make macaroons, he ended up more frazzled than when he started. Pretty sure it was the catalyst for his quarter-life crisis."

Cye chuckled as he poured oil in a wok. "Do you and your brother make a lot of Indian food at home?"

"Once or twice a week. We've gotten Robyn addicted to gulab jamun, it's like an Indian donut covered in syrup." She smiled when Mia perked up at that. "I'll have to make you some."

"That would be wonderful."

As Rae continued to cut peppers, a slice of green pepper disappeared from her plate. She narrowed her eyes at the offender now looming over the table.

"Want to learn a trick to that?" Kento asked as he munched. Regan set the knife down and moved her hands out of the way. He pulled up the other chair and stood up one of the peppers. "You want to expose the ribs, so you'll cut off the top, like it's a pumpkin." He expertly cut and sliced the pepper as he talked, and then handed the knife to her to watch her do it. "There you go," he said when she repeated what he did.

"Thanks, chef," she said.

"Anytime."

"Excuse me?" Cye called jokingly. "I don't see Kento cooking dinner."

"Kento damn near owns a restaurant," Kento retaliated.

Regan sipped her wine and grinned as they bantered easily back and forth. The blue-haired guy—Rowen, _yes_ she remembered his name—came back into the kitchen with his strange, retro cookbook.

"Are we ready to do this?" Kento asked as the lanky man opened his fridge and pulled out a small steak and a tub of butter. Interesting.

"You bet."

Regan watched with morbid curiosity as Rowen slathered the butter over the hunk of raw meat.

"You're really going to nuke that raw steak," Robyn said with something close to wonder in her voice. She saddled up to Regan, who offered her a drink of her wine. Robyn shook her head and Regan sighed sadly.

"And it's ready to go in," Rowen announced after he was finished. "Look at this beautiful piece of meat. Be brave, little guy."

"That poor, poor, steak," Cye said, shaking his head as he moved from the stove to allow Rowen his reckless act of cooking debauchery.

Rowen trumpeted some sort of haphazard fanfare as he slid the plate into the microwave and set the timer. The activity in the apartment toned down as the microwave hummed, the single steak slowly turning around and around in the little window. When it finally chimed it was finished, the apartment was dead silent as Rowen pulled the dish out of the microwave and set it upon the counter for everyone to behold.

Upon the deep, red plate sat a gray, formless mass of meat marinating in clear juices which just may have been its own tears.

"Alright, who's going to try this with me?" Rowen announced, rolling up his sleeves.

The response was a resounding silence as he cut a piece and speared it with a fork. Looking around the room, no one had volunteered, so Rowen took it upon himself to find one.

"Sage, try this."

"Never in a thousand lifetimes," came the blond's immediate response.

"Come on, just a little taste." Strata moved forward and Halo instantly backed away.

"You get away from me with that."

"Come on Sage, you have to try this with me. Let's experience this together!"

Sage took another step back, but Rowen had already pounced, backing the blond into the wall and trying to force-feed him as if he were a naughty toddler refusing to eat his dinner.

"Rowen, if you don't get off me, I swear—"

"We are brothers! You must partake of what I partake!"

"You first, then."

"No, you first!"

"Those two are best friends, aren't they?" Regan asked quietly of Robyn.

"Yup," the redhead confirmed with a grin. "God only knows how, though."

Everyone was enjoying the extremely amusing fight in the living room when Ryo suddenly announced, "I'll try it."

All activity stopped as Wildfire cut himself a bite-sized piece of soggy beef.

"Yeah?" Rowen said, now suddenly back at the counter and ignoring Sage completely.

Ryo inspected the end of his fork. "Won't be the worst piece of meat I've seen in the past 24 hours. But you have to do it, too."

"Warrior's honor."

They both took a bite at the same time. Kento gave them a round of applause. Everyone watched their faces as various looks of discomfort and disgust covered their features.

"This... this is really bad," Rowen admitted, still chewing.

"What's it taste like?" Mia asked with reverence.

Ryo swallowed. "Like tragedy and sadness."

Rowen choked and swallowed with a pained expression. "It really does." He pushed the plate away.

"Aww, you're not going finish it?" Cye asked with disappointment.

"Like I'm going to give you the satisfaction."

"Next!" Kento called.

Abandoning the pitiful steak, Rowen flipped through the cookbook again with Kento at his shoulder. Laughter erupted from both of them as they skipped over recipes to find the one they wanted. "French toast? _Dude_." "Who the hell microwaves cereal?" "Holy shit, Ro, the chocolate sauerkraut cake!" "I don't have any sauerkraut, Kento. And besides, I think I value my colon too much to try that one." Kento blurted out "Momma's Breaded Fish" and earned laughter from everyone in the room. Rowen finally pointed to the winner, and after reading through the ingredients, Kento exclaimed, "You are _not_ abusing bacon!"

"It's for science!"

"What, are you going to write up a report about this when you're done?"

"You don't know. Maybe I will. Now relax, it only calls for two pieces." Rowen went into his fridge for a carton of eggs and a package of bacon, pulling out what he needed. He handed two eggs to Kento, who grabbed a bowl and a whisk and expertly cracked the eggs open and began whisking them.

The ingredients went in the bowl together, like an egg soup garnished with bacon. Rowen put a paper towel over it before popping it into the microwave and setting the timer. They watched as if the microwave would explode from the unholy ingredients being cooked in it. There were, in fact, popping noises coming from inside.

"It's growing legs," Kento warned.

"Bacon legs," Regan added in a hushed voice. "You've offended the culinary gods, and now your creature is going to attack you the minute you open that door."

"He would deserve it," Sage confirmed.

Regan couldn't help but grin to hear any words coming out of the quiet blond, let alone an attempt at a joke. Something told her he didn't joke too often.

"Don't worry, I'll have a spatula ready," Rowen deadpanned, his eyes lit with humor.

Another loud pop came from the microwave. "You might need more than that," Robyn said. "It sounds pissed."

When the timer dinged, Rowen even hesitated before he opened the door and took out the bowl.

The whole room dissolved into noises of revulsion and bursts of laughter. Cye put up his hands and walked back to the normal, delicious, nutritious food he was making and away from the monstrosity bubbling in that bowl.

"It's still _liquidy_ ," Kento announced with gleeful disgust. "And the paper towel…"

"I can't do it," Mia said.

"I already braved it." Ryo turned to Robyn. "Feeling adventurous?"

"I enjoy not throwing up, Ryo, so no."

"Sage?" Rowen asked.

"You can't be serious."

"I'll try it." Regan's buzz from the wine, as well as her hopes of being accepted by this group of friends, propelled that sentence forward. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, however, her stomach recoiled in horror. Robyn gave her a similar look.

Delighted, Rowen supplied her with a fork and slid the bowl closer to her. Regan took a gulp of her wine to fortify herself and peered down at the contents. The paper towel had indeed fused with the bacon, and the eggs were on their way to being scrambled, but stopped at the halfway point of being a bubbly solid and a liquid. She cut a piece of the solid egg and made it halfway to her mouth before stopping.

"Just take it like cough medicine," Robyn said encouragingly.

Regan closed her eyes and took a deep breath before going for it. She immediately covered her mouth, shaking her head slowly as she chewed and swallowed.

Rowen studied her face. "On a scale of one to Hitler invading Russia, how bad was that decision?"

She raised her hand, all five fingers spread. Then went right for her glass of wine and took another drink. Kento clapped her on the back, making her cough. "To the surprise of no one," she said, "this Merlot and those eggs do not pair well."

"Want to try the bacon, see if that pairs better?"

"I refuse to eat your science oven mutated bacon."

Kento tried the mutated bacon, and chewed silently for a long amount time, massive arms folded, before making a face and swallowing. "That wasn't…I've tasted worse. It was just bland. The microwave sucked all the flavor out of it. I also tasted the paper towel and that was kind of disgusting. Regan, I'm pretty sure we deserve a shot after that."

The dark-haired girl grinned. "I like the way you think."

Eventually, Cye announced the real food was ready and they all eagerly filled their plates. As a bachelor, Rowen only had a small table with two chairs, which everyone else volunteered for Cye and Mia. The rest were happy to fit on the couch or the floor as they ate.

"This is so much better," Ryo confirmed as he put a fork-full of stir fry into his mouth. He couldn't even recall the last time he had a warm meal that wasn't take out.

Rowen grinned. "Even better than... White Blaze's pancakes?"

"Dude, shut up," Ryo shot back.

Kento immediately busted up. "I don't know Cye, this is good, but according to Ryo, nothing can beat those pancakes."

"You guys suck, shut up!"

Everyone was chuckling now, except for Ryo. And the two girls new to Japan sitting on the floor.

"What are White Blaze Pancakes?" Regan whispered to Robyn, wondering if she heard correctly.

"White Blaze is Ryo's, uh... cat," Robyn explained. "That's all I know."

"Oh man, no one's told you about White Blaze's pancakes?" Kento demanded. When the redhead shook her head, he immediately continued. "So we were hanging out at my place, right? And Ryo got so drunk he just started talking about how White Blaze raised him in the woods when he was little and made him pancakes. It was so hilarious."

"That is not what I said," Ryo protested. "You guys are blowing it out of proportion."

"Let's just see about that," Rowen announced, digging into his back pocket for his phone. Ryo looked on in horror as Strata abandoned his plate and slid himself between the two girls so they could all watch the phone's screen together.

The scene was in the living room of Kento's apartment. Ryo sat on the left of the couch, the closest to the camera. Mia sat next to him with Kento on her other side. Cye's head popped in and out of the shot as he sat on the floor, leaning against Mia's legs.

"Can you tell us more about White Blaze?" Rowen's voice came from off screen, as he was the one holding the phone.

A clearly inebriated Ryo leaned his head on his palm, staring dreamy-eyed at nothing. "I love White Blaze," he said.

"I know you do," came Rowen's voice. "Why do you love White Blaze?"

"He made me pancakes."

Mia instantly snorted at the response, hiding her mouth and nose in her hands to disguise her fit of giggles.

"Pancakes, really? What kind of pancakes does White Blaze make?"

"Forest pancakes."

Everyone on screen snorted at the answer. Rowen's voice was still composed.

"And how does he make forest pancakes, Ryo?"

"With berries and leaves."

"Oh, okay."

"And he cooks them in a pot."

"He uses a pot to make pancakes?"

"A pancake pot and he cooks them on a stove. A stove with a fire in it. A pancake fire."

Kento was losing it, pounding his fist on the armrest and trying so hard not to laugh. Mia had buried her face in Cye's shoulder.

"Where does White Blaze cook his pancakes?" Cye managed to ask. "Does he cook in the house?"

"No, Cye," Ryo insisted, offended. "He cooks in the woods. You have to make forest pancakes in the woods."

A guffaw from Rowen could be heard from the video. "Isn't it dangerous? What if White Blaze started a forest fire from cooking outside?"

"No! The fire is only for pancakes!" Ryo shouted.

Everyone lost it right there, failing to keep in their laughter. The camera zoomed in on Sage, standing in the background, who was doing his utmost not to lose his composure. But Halo was still wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.

"Hey, hey Cye," Ryo said, tugging Torrent's shoulder. His voice came out with a hiss as if he were sharing a secret. "You should have White Blaze teach you to make pancakes! He's a better cook than _you_."

Now Mia was laughing so hard she was crying, furiously wiping the tears from her eyes.

Cye was trying so hard to stop laughing long enough to get out a full sentence. "I don't—I don't really use leaves to make pancakes, Ryo."

"That's because you don't cook in the woods," Ryo explained patiently.

"You have to make forest pancakes in the woods, Cye," Rowen reminded.

"See? _Rowen_ gets it."

By the end of the video, nearly everyone had gathered around the phone except Ryo. And they were all laughing. Robyn was nearly in tears herself. Wildfire just pouted.

Regan turned to Rowen, whose face was mere inches from hers. "I'm impressed you kept your composure through all of that. Everyone else was dying."

Rowen grinned. "It's my super power. I'm immune to people less hilarious than myself."

She smirked at him and Rowen noticed for the first time that her eyes were green, an odd color for her dark complexion. Not vibrant like Robyn's, but a cooler hue, subtle in their color. Calming.

"Challenge accepted," she said.

His grin widened.

"And that's why Ryo isn't drinking tonight," Mia laughed.

"He didn't want the secret recipe to get out," Kento added.

"I hate all of you," Ryo said. "I'm not drinking in front of you clowns ever again."

"Never say never." Kento attempted to get Wildfire in a headlock, who blocked Kento's arm and moved out of the way.

"I wish Robyn would have a drink," Regan said wistfully, then nudged the redhead in the side playfully. "She doesn't let her hair down enough."

"I do, too!"

"You need to let your freak flag fly, and that'll take at least two drinks. It's good for the soul. Look at your friend Ryo, he was able to get something very important off his chest." Ryo gave her a look, making her laugh.

"Someone has to drive _your_ drunk ass home, _Regan_ ," the redhead reminded.

"That's true," Regan accepted, and immediately cuddled up to her, resting her head on Robyn's shoulder. "You always take such good care of me, babe."

"Dude, not around my friends," Robyn said in a lower voice.

"Too late! They already know of our love!" Regan attempted to put her face in Robyn's as if she were about to kiss her. The redhead squawked and scrambled away. Regan was forced to remain where she was as not to spill her food and drink on Rowen's carpet. The aforementioned blue-haired man watched Regan with intrigue though he was talking to the other young woman. "Robyn, I did not know this about you."

"In the kitchen, can't hear you," Robyn called as she sank behind the counter. Everyone else was laughing.

* * *

After finishing dinner, they tried another recipe from _Microwave Cooking for One_ , opting for the French toast. Rowen whisked an egg with milk, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. He soaked two pieces of bread in the mixture and placed the sopping bread slices on a plate.

Mia stared at it and shook her head sadly. "It defeats the purpose of French toast. It's supposed to be fried. It'll just be…soggy cinnamon bread."

The soggy bread went in, and what came out was almost what Mia predicted, except—

"Rowen, why is it green?" Sage asked mildly, one perfect eyebrow raised in question.

Half the kitchen cracked up. Rowen gingerly picked up a slice of what looked less like French toast and more like garlic bread with an odd greenish hue. "Mia, try this one with me. You're French, it's appropriate."

She ripped off a piece even as Cye protested, "It's _green_ , Mia—" and ate it quickly, scrunching her nose while she did. Her expression turned thoughtful as she swallowed. "I can taste all the separate ingredients, and it's really weird." Mia shuddered and went back to her wine.

They shelved experimenting for the night, and the group returned to the living area to talk and play card games. Robyn found it a great opportunity to get more information on what her friends' daily lives were like.

Her face was a mask of fascination and horror when Ryo recounted the previous morning with Mr. Ishikura. "He called them sweetbreads?" Robyn shuddered. "Who came up with that name?"

"Are we talking about pancreas?" Rowen asked from across the coffee table.

"Why am I not surprised that you know what that is," Ryo said. "Have you had them?"

"God, no. I have to draw the line somewhere."

"That line doesn't include microwaving shit that doesn't belong in a microwave," Kento said.

Mia and Kento started playing slapjack, which required a player to slap their hand the deck of cards when a jack showed up. Mia yelped and laughed every time both of them went for the pile and Kento's large hand landed over hers. When his faster reflexes made his hand slap down first, Mia's hand smacked over the back of his.

"Ow, goddamn woman!" Kento chuckled. "You're not messin' around."

"She can be vicious," Cye agreed.

"Rob, you want play after this?"

"I don't know, Mia looks like she's having way too much fun smacking you when she has the chance." The redhead looked content enough to be on the couch with Sage to her right and Regan to her left, the rest of the guys sprawled around. Regan was leaning forward, discussing some British television show with Cye. Robyn was happy to see her American friend was getting along with her Japanese friends quite well.

Eventually, Regan sat back up, clearly a little inebriated now, and rested her chin on Robyn's shoulder.

"Having a good time?" the redhead asked.

"Mmhmm," Regan responded, snuggling in closer and closing her eyes. Robyn sighed, but tolerated it. Regan was a bit of a cuddly drunk.

As Rowen shuffled a deck of cards, he watched the two girls converse quietly, nestled in cozily like a pair of kittens. The picture they made had a sweetness to it, independent from actions brought on by a few glasses of wine. Then Regan said something in her ear that flustered the redhead and made her scoot back. Regan laughed at her and reached for Robyn's hair.

"Stop being so handsy or I'm going to need an adult," Robyn warned, though her tone was not without humor.

"I am an adult," Regan purred back. "Your friends will just have to accept our relationship."

"I'm accepting it quite well," Kento quipped as he watched the women flounce on the couch with amusement. Rowen looked quite intrigued himself.

Sage hit Kento with his toe for such a comment, but the damage was already done. Robyn's face and neck turned bright red with embarrassment and she hid her face in her hands.

"Awww..." Regan cooed, leaning in. "Baby, it's o-"

Cye promptly sat himself between the girls, causing Regan to scramble out of the way to make room. He glanced at Robyn with a raised, triumphant brow. "Better?"

Robyn made a happy sound and threw her arms around him, now massively more content. "Thank you for letting me borrow him, Mia," she called.

"As long as I get him back at the end of the night," the brunette's called, voice laced with good humor.

I missed this, Robyn's heart sang in her chest. I missed them so much.

* * *

As the night wound down, Regan was the first to announce it was time to go. Despite the alcohol she consumed, she was still well aware of the time and how early her morning was going to be.

Robyn hid her disappointment well that the night was over, but insisted on hugs from everyone. Most were heartily returned. Regan noticed her friend's good-bye with Sage was a little stiff and awkward. She knew Robyn respected the hell out of that guy, but it seemed those two were never quite that close. It was possible that could change while they were out here, but certainly not likely with the way things were currently going.

Still, Robyn had said her good-byes to everyone several times before Regan bodily herded her out the door. The second Robyn's back was turned, keys in her hand as she headed down the stairs, Regan poked her head back into the apartment.

"Thanks for dinner everyone, it was really nice," she called as the group looked up at her entrance. "That being said, you all are sucky friends. Seriously, _call her_. I'm sick of seeing her mope around every night."

With that, Regan shut the door in their faces and hurried down the stairs to catch up.

* * *

Author's Notes: Thank you to those who commented on the first chapter. We are excited that we've got readers who are excited to see this new story. Rowen's kitchen adventures were inspired by the Cracked article "9 Recipes From the Saddest Cookbook Ever". Feel free to Google it for more cooking misadventures with a microwave.


	3. Chapter 3

**Urban Legend**

 **Chapter 3**

Robyn stared out the train window as it took her through town to get to work. Regan always had the car for her job, but public transit wasn't too inconvenient. The company Robyn worked for was very close to a train station, as was the building where they were staying. She also liked that time to ruminate to herself while she watched the buildings go by.

It had been a few days since the adventure in microwave cooking at Rowen's house. Since then, the guys had been texting her more. No invitations to hang out, as everyone still had their own responsibilities to take care of, but it was nice to hear from them. Rowen texted her silly things he heard at work, Cye sent her some pictures of his animal patients. Even Sage sent her a message expressing how nice it was to see her and have everyone together for an evening. Robyn still hadn't deleted that one. Sage texting anyone—especially her—seemed almost supernatural to her.

Robyn wondered how long it would last. Maybe until the weekend was over and then it would probably taper off into nothing again. She sighed, watching her breath fog up the window of the train. Not for the first time, her thoughts wandered to Regan's earlier accusation that she should get herself a hobby, something to do in her off hours instead of moping around from lack of social life.

A second job, maybe? No, this one, with the pressures of constantly paying attention to every little thing said so she could translate correctly left her mentally and somewhat physically drained after a long, hard day. Maybe start a project of some kind? Robyn wasn't very crafty. She liked to read, but she didn't consider that a hobby. Regan's reading habits fell under that category. Regan didn't just like to read, she wanted to _discuss_ afterward. She wanted conversation and involvement with her books. Robyn just liked to quietly reflect and then move to something else.

It was depressing to quickly discover Robyn had very little interests. Her life had been so involved in just surviving from day to day, it left little energy for anything else. She wasn't used to such things as finding oneself or developing talents. Very little caught her interest, pulled her into it. Except...

There it was. Robyn saw it every day on the ride to and from work. An old, dilapidated building that stuck out from between the newer industrial buildings surrounding it. Its eerie gray walls and broken windows probably caught most people's attention. But to Robyn, there was something more to it. An unheard voice called to her daily, drawing her forward. She adamantly ignored it. Regan wouldn't like her dabbling while they were abroad. Japan was also a whole different country. Robyn felt it when she first looked at the city. The energy was different here. She should leave things alone. And yet, her eyes were drawn to that building every time she passed it, unable to look away.

* * *

Rowen stood in front of a plain, slate gray, box of a building with wide windows. It looked like a gray cloud against the hard blue of the sky.

For a design firm, the building that housed it was almost ugly.

Until he went inside. Rowen was suitably impressed with the inviting, albeit small waiting area, and the open office environment beyond. The lack of walls exposed the other three floors, all wood, glass, and warm colors. While he saw a number of Japanese people, the staff was very much international; he heard accents from every continent.

He asked the young woman at the front desk if she could tell a Miss Regan Sundari that she had a visitor, and the employee cheerfully obliged him. Minutes later, Rowen watched Robyn's friend descend one of the wooden staircases to the first floor, dressed smartly in fitted dress slacks and an unbuttoned blazer. She regarded him with a vaguely suspicious, yet intrigued expression that made him grin when she saw it was him.

"Remember me?" he asked.

Rowen could almost see her mentally flip through the name possibilities and draw a blank. She cocked her finger at him and recovered with, " _Microwave_ guy."

"Rowen," he laughed. "I also go by 'sucky friend.'"

Regan smirked at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Taking you out to lunch," he announced casually. "And I'm sure you know that Robyn is working right now, lest you think I'm ignoring your orders."

She gave him a considering look. Finally, she tapped her fingers on the front desk and said,

"Five minutes?" He nodded.

He took her to a place that was a short walk from her building, not too far from the train stop that dropped him off near her work. She kept up enough conversation to be polite, but he could tell she was still puzzling out his impromptu visit. He hoped to get her comfortable enough to start filling in the missing gaps—six years worth—of Robyn's life and maybe come to a better understanding of her relationship with the redhead.

* * *

Regan continued to study this strange, tall man whom Robyn went to high school with for a year, and maintained a long distance friendship with for six years more. He was quite animated when he spoke—he talked with his hands, scooped them through his hair, gestured with his chopsticks before they even ordered. There was a quick, bright brain working overtime in there; intelligence brimmed out of his eyes and in the way he spoke. And his eyes were gorgeous: the velvet blue of dusk. She had to catch herself to keep from staring directly into them too much—she didn't want to be rude—but he seemed to have no problem meeting her gaze.

"So how's Robyn been?" he asked after they ordered. "She's not big on sharing. Even when we ask, her answers don't give us a solid idea of what her life's been like the past few years."

Ah. The reason for lunch became clearer. He wanted to check on Robyn, and who better to get answers from than her roommate? Well, that was sweet. Rae really needed to ease up on her natural suspicion of other people not named Robyn and Jude; these guys seemed pretty decent, despite dropping the ball for the first few weeks. And this one was funny and oddly charming.

"She is the queen of keeping things to herself," Regan agreed. "But despite the secrecy, she's been doing very well. Sometimes it's hard to get her out of the house, but she's always game to go hiking, or on a short road trip, or what have you. She tries just about every recipe Cye emails her."

"Does she like the work she's been doing? Not just while she's been here: in general."

"Well enough."

He made a face at that, and Regan gave him an understanding look. "I know. Robyn's compass hasn't found true north yet. That's not something anyone can find for her."

"You're there for her in the meantime." Rowen's statement held an unspoken _right?_

"Don't worry," she replied firmly. "I take care of my Robyn."

Rowen would have expected a hint of teasing in there, but she sounded pretty serious. He reflected back to how they interacted at his apartment. "I heard the two of you met in high school."

"We met in New York, yes."

That wasn't quite the answer he was looking for, and he suspected she knew. Her pale green eyes flashed up to meet his before lowering to concentrate on the food that just arrived.

"Did you have any classes together?"

"Psychology. I didn't have much of a chance to get to know her, but she made an impression."

"You left New York not too long after, if I recall correctly?"

"Yes. I didn't care for it." She paused, and then added, "I had to leave for school, anyway."

"Ever meet a kid named Jason?"

Regan's demeanor shifted and closed in a way that Sage's would when something bothered him. A hard glint came into her eyes. "I had the misfortune of meeting him. We didn't get along."

Before he could ask another question, she headed him off with, "So what class are you teaching when you're not doing research?"

New York made this one a little uncomfortable, Rowen mused. She didn't offer any substantial information about her and Robyn's first encounters; no anecdotes, not even unpleasant ones. That could be nothing. He was still a relative stranger, and Robyn's situation was delicate. Regan could be trying to protect her.

That settled his doubts for now, so he happily transitioned to his class and his research. She admitted that physics was not her forte, but gamely followed along and asked intelligent questions.

Having an attentive audience as attractive as her sent a pleasant tingle down his spine that intensified whenever her calming, cool green eyes warmed with amusement at something he said or looked him over with the same searching inspection from earlier.

"Tell me about your work," he invited. "And tell me why that building is so ugly."

He startled a laugh out of her. "It's minimalist. The architect who designed it would tell you it's meant to represent necessity and a lack of complication. Which is a nice way of saying he wanted a simple, drab building."

"How does that make you feel?"

"Like a lot of good, raw materials went to waste to build a gray box."

"What type of architecture do you like?"

There it was: that sliver of passion from the first day they all met, cracking her outer shell like unwrapping a present. She mentioned names of architects he filed away, including Kengo Kuma, and gushed about mosques and bridges she admired. Looking to the stars as often as he had all his life, it had never occurred to him to pay close attention to what human beings built here on earth. Regan paid attention, and marveled at it.

Rowen was disappointed when she had to go back to work. He walked her back to the office, and just before he left, it came out of his mouth unbidden. "Want to do that again?"

"Yes." A smile bloomed on Regan's face when she realized that she meant it. "Of course."

* * *

Robyn answered the door that afternoon, half expecting it to be the postman. Kento stood there instead and her face instantly brightened.

"Hey," she greeted looking him up and down. He looked good, dressed in jeans and a tight, black T-shirt. They all looked good to her these days. Older, more filled out, more confident. Kento looked the best right now because he was the one standing on her doorstep looking for her.

"Hi," he greeted with an easy smile. "I'm going to visit Cye at his work and then go to dinner. Want to come?"

"Do I?" Robyn exclaimed. Her keys hung by the doorway and she grabbed them as she immediately stepped outside.

Kento chuckled. "I thought you might." He inclined his head toward the parking lot and then turned.

Robyn followed, absolutely delighted to be in his presence. She had a suspicion that Kento probably would not be randomly visiting Cye's work if she wasn't in town. He was doing this with the main purpose of finding a reason for them to hang out together. Robyn very much appreciated it. She wanted to tell him how glad she was he took pity on her lonely plight and made time for her with his busy schedule. However, she couldn't think of a way to express it out loud that didn't make her sound as pathetic as she felt. So she, instead, remained silently grateful as they both climbed into Kento's jeep. It was a newer model than the one he had in high school. One with a smoothly purring engine as he turned the key.

Kento's driving seemed to have refined itself as well. He was more comfortable on the road, in less of a hurry to get places. Robyn quite enjoyed it.

"I'm glad to see you," Robyn finally said, satisfied that didn't make her sound as lonely as she was.

He smiled as he glanced her way before returning his eyes to the road. "You, too. Sorry I haven't dropped by sooner. All five of us need to get our shit together."

"It's fine. I understand all of you have your own lives and busy schedules. I don't expect you to drop everything for me."

"No, Regan was right. We've been sucky friends to you lately."

Robyn's mouth fell open. "Regan said that? When did she say that?"

"It doesn't matter, she was right. All five of us were pretty much expecting the other four to be taking up all your time so then we didn't have to worry about it as much." He glanced over at her slightly opened-mouth expression. "See, we are kinda crappy friends. We've all been set in our schedules and unwilling to change. So how about every Wednesday evening? Are those good for you?"

"Wednesday evening? Good for what?"

"To hang out with Cye and me."

Robyn nearly snorted at the absurdity that he would even have to ask. She was free every evening. But again, she did not share that information, it sounded too sad. "Free for you guys? Hell, yeah."

"Good. Now you're part of the schedule."

Robyn couldn't stop grinning all the way there.

The marine rescue facility where Cye worked was inviting enough, but also clearly an older building whose sign could have used a fresh coat of paint. While not a facility that openly invited visitors, there were plenty of interns and volunteers coming in and out at all hours. Kento merely had to wave at the girl behind the front desk before proceeding to the back. Apparently, he came often enough to be recognized by the staff.

Robyn wasn't surprised with the kind of relationship he and Cye had. She could picture Cye when he first began working here: "This is Kento. He'll be dropping by quite often. He just will." And it made her warm inside to know that the friendship of Torrent and Hardrock was still as solid as ever.

Kento guided them down a sterile hallway, as they passed several doors that contained labs and examination rooms. Out back was a great slab of concrete cratered with over a half a dozen water tanks. Nearly just as many personnel moved about with purpose. Among them was Cye, dressed in ratty brown shorts, a dark blue shirt with the rescue center's logo, and flip flips.

"Cye!" Robyn blurted, as was typical of her any time she hadn't seen him longer than ten minutes. The auburn-haired man turned around just in time to catch her as she tackled him around the torso.

"Eew, don't hug me, I'm all fishy," he complained.

"Too bad, don't care," Robyn beamed.

"Your fault if we get kicked out of dinner for the smell, then," he responded with humor. Despite his protests, he looked very pleased to see her. "I'm assuming you came for the tour?"

Robyn brightened even more. "Yes, please!"

Cye smiled, knowing full well that what Robyn mainly wanted was to be shown the animals. "Well, we don't have a lot going on right now, but there's a few patients." He led them to a tank where a young man of college entrance age was writing on a clip board. "This is Burgess, he's a two-year old male striped dolphin. We found him last week with his fluke nearly severed from fishing wire."

Robyn peered into the large tank. The only dolphins she was familiar with were those of the solid gray variety. This one looked like a gray dolphin streaked in black paint on its back.

"He's pretty."

"Yes, he is," Cye agreed. "Striped dolphins are one of my favorites."

He next showed them a sea turtle called Douglas who was recovering from an operation. He was brought in because he couldn't submerge due to swallowed trash filling his belly up with gases.

"And this is Winston." Cye hooked his fingers on the wire mesh of a large cage containing a nearly five-foot tall red-crowned crane. "He came in with a broken wing yesterday and I set the bone. My first time setting a wing. Birds are not my specialty."

At that last word, the massive crane squawked angrily, attacking the fingers that were poking into his pen. Cye quickly removed his hand. "He does not like me at all," Torrent admitted.

Robyn was a bit surprised at the bird's aggression. She had this rose-tinted daydream of Cye speaking to the sea creatures Dr. Dolittle style. In reality, it was clear these were wild animals, unused to human interaction. And Cye helped them anyway, whether dumb birds knew they were being helped or not.

"Why do they all have English names?" Robyn asked.

"The interns name them. They enjoy giving them funny names," Cye laughed.

That wasn't the only thing they seemed to enjoy, Robyn noticed. The female staff and volunteers seemed to also like watching Kento's backside as he followed them around. They seemed less than thrilled to notice Robyn there with him. It made her feel good a little, even though these girls were jealous of nothing.

"So, is this your only facility?" Robyn then asked. "I thought it would be a lot bigger.

It was the only time Cye frowned a little. "The rescue center relies on donations to stay in business. We get enough private donations to stay afloat, but that's about it. The government _should_ be funding all of this, but wildlife conservation has never been a top priority for them. That opinion is slowly changing, but for right now, we do what we can with what we have."

"Wow, I had no idea. Back in the states, we've got all these animal rescue shows and whatnot. I didn't realize it wasn't the same in Japan."

He shrugged. "Like I said, conservation isn't the biggest concern over here, but we're working on it. Half of our resources are devoted to research so we can further educate the public on the need for programs such as this." He paused to check his water-proof watch before he became too preachy. Robyn had sent it to him for Christmas one year. It also made her feel good to see him using it. "Well, my shift is over. I'm going to wash up and change real quick and I'll meet you guys out front."

Kento and Robyn waited on a bench outside the facility, enjoying the cooler air of the afternoon. Robyn stretched her legs, leaning back to look at the sky. The cry of a seagull sounded in the distance.

"Wow, Cye's really found his calling, hasn't he?" she asked the sky.

"Heh, yeah," Kento replied. "He loves it. He's really into all the politics about this stuff, too. You only got the watered down version. You should see him when he's all worked up about the dolphin drives and stuff. I've never heard so much swearing come out of him in all my life."

Robyn smiled. "I'm glad he's doing something he loves." She glanced at Kento. "You, too?"

He shrugged. "Meh, I like the restaurant business well enough. The thing is, I'm good at running a kitchen, running a business. So I don't mind doing it for now until something else pops up." He paused. "Just don't tell my folks I said that. As far as they're concerned, I'm going to be buried under that place. Right next to their bodies, no doubt."

Robyn snorted at the idea. After a thoughtful pause, she said. "So I've got an idea, let me know if you think it's plausible. It's summer and everything, what if we all got together and went somewhere for a weekend? Like a summer vacation. You know, before Cye gets married and I have to go back home."

"That sounds awesome! We should do that."

"Do you think we could get everyone to commit to a weekend? It wouldn't be as fun if we had to leave someone behind."

Kento took a thoughtful moment. "We could probably swing it if we gave everyone enough notice. Ryo will probably have the hardest time. I think he has to ask for days off like a month in advance or something."

"Yikes!"

"I know."

"Oh, hey, Kento," a woman greeted as she stepped out of the building. She was tall and quite good looking, perhaps a few years older. "I was wondering why the interns were all a twitter. I should have guessed you came around to flirt with them." She paused when she noticed Robyn sitting next to him. "Or maybe not?"

"I'll have you know, the only reason they flirt with me is because Cye's taken. And this is Robyn," Kento introduced. "She's a friend of ours. Robyn, this is Maki, she's the director of the facility."

Maki laughed, a light beautiful sound. The wedding band on her finger glittered in the sun. "Friend, huh? Still enjoying the single life, then?"

Kento folded his arms behind his head, a serene picture of contentment. "Don't you know it. Plan on enjoying that for a while longer."

"I'm sure the girls are glad to hear it." Maki glanced at the open window behind them with a smirk. There was a feminine gasp and then a mixture of startled cries before the window was slammed shut by a few very embarrassed young ladies.

Maki laughed again before waving them off and walking to her car.

Robyn smirked at Kento. "Now I know why you really come here. You've got your own fan club."

"Please," Kento waved her off. "Most of the girls here are high school students. They just get their jollies flirting with an older guy. Mostly they're just happy my ex won't be following me here any more."

Robyn doubted that was the only reason. Kento wasn't exactly hard on the eyes. He was far more put together than he had been as a teenager. He wore nicer clothes, his hair always carefully disheveled. His well-built muscular frame would catch any girl's eye, but his deep, blue eyes would be what would really do them in. Especially when he smiled. She wasn't an idiot, she saw exactly what those girls gawking in the window saw.

"So, this infamous ex I keep hearing about," she said.

Kento suddenly became more animated. "Oh man, Robyn, you have no idea. I'm glad you didn't have to meet her. Though, on the other hand, I almost wish you had, just so you could witness for yourself how crazy this woman is."

Robyn grinned, leaning forward. "I would love to hear the stories."

Kento looked ready to tell her one right then, but Cye had exited the building and all thoughts of the current conversation ran out of her head.

"Cye," she exclaimed as she jumped to her feet. "How do you feel about all of us taking a weekend off for a vacation?"

Torrent paused at the sudden question, then smiled. "Sounds good. Where we going?"

* * *

They never really planned them. Rowen just showed up at the front desk of Regan's work about twice a week. Although it was unexpected, it was ... nice. Normal. She liked his company and his quick wit. He slid in innuendo as naturally as she did, and they made each other laugh. Soon they were having lunch three times a week. She offered, more than once, to meet him at the restaurant they frequented, but he insisted on coming to her office to get her.

"We're going somewhere different today," he told her unexpectedly one week. "Not too far; don't worry."

When he brought her to the train station, Regan joked, "Should I have let my coworkers know who I'm out with in case I don't come back?"

Rowen raised his eyebrows and said suggestively, "You might not want to go back."

Regan laughed at him, but couldn't deny how his excitement turned his pretty blue eyes into something stunning. She honestly didn't know what he was so jazzed about. After they got off at the train and walked back up to the surface in a completely new area to Regan, she didn't get her bearings until she spotted a direction sign that "University of Toyama."

"Your work?" she asked.

"Not quite."

The campus was lovely, but Regan hardly noticed when she saw where he was heading. She would recognize that architectural style anywhere.

"Kengo Kuma designed this one," she breathed, craning her neck to look up at the hundreds of thin wooden slats covering a large research building, creating a gorgeous rippling effect.

"Just a few years ago," Rowen replied. "Want to go in?"

Her wide, excited eyes met his. "Yes, please!"

Rowen watched her face as she wandered inside the building, running her fingers over the smooth wood of the tables designed like the outside. She audibly gasped when he showed her an empty lecture hall laden with the bright timber.

"I'm giving a presentation here next Saturday," he said, his voice echoing in the hall. "There'll be some fancy university donors there, so I have to charm them with my amazing wit and sexy science talk."

"It is sexy," she conferred with mock seriousness.

"About as sexy as the steak that came out of my microwave last month."

Regan's laughter filled the lecture hall. "Are you nervous?"

"Not really. It's not so much the public speaking I mind as it's the mingling afterwards. I get a distinct "dance, monkey" vibe from them, like if they feed the genius enough coins he'll spit out something intelligent."

"I won't judge if you need to shake your moneymaker to strangers to earn those dollars. Whatever you need to do to put food on the table."

As they walked out of the hall, Rowen couldn't hide his grin as he asked, "Did you just call me a prostitute?"

"More like a high-end call girl," she reassured.

When they headed back outside, Regan explored the exterior again, talking about the design in a hushed tone as if she were in church. He lost her for a minute in the outdoor plaza, but then heard her exclaim about an entryway into a garden and found her again.

She was sitting on a wooden bench and admiring the garden with an almost dreamy expression. "My father had a few peach trees in our backyard, when we were little," she said unexpectedly as she stared at pretty blossoms of one such tree. "He used to enlist my brother and me to help him can fruits and vegetables. I hated doing it, but I loved the results. He was quite the gardener."

Rowen sat down beside her. "Does he still?"

"No. He died when I was nine."

He inwardly flinched. "I'm sorry."

"Thanks. He was a good man." Regan nudged his shoulder companionably. "A professor, like you. I miss him terribly."

"I can't imagine. Cye lost his dad when he was really young, too. His mom largely raised him and his older sister by herself."

Regan grimaced. "I heard about that. That's rough. I've wanted to meet his mother since we got here. Robyn speaks so highly of her. But I certainly feel for Cye; it's a life changer."

"It couldn't have been easy for you, your brother, or your mom."

She smiled faintly, but it wasn't a fond smile. "My mother … well. Our situation certainly did change. We don't have a fraction of the control we think we do over some of the circumstances we find ourselves in."

Rowen both shunted that idea and recognized the truth in it. There was a weariness underlying her words that something inside him— the part of him that willingly donned armor to fight in a war as a teenager—answered to, and understood. He wanted to do something to chase that look off her face, but she seemed to shake herself out of it.

"This has been a long lunch, Professor, and I have to get back to work. Why don't we grab something on the run and you can tell me about _your_ parents?"

When he dropped her off at her office, Regan gave him a look of such appreciation and pleasure that his heart stuttered. "Thank you for taking me there," she said. "That was very considerate of you."

He shrugged, his throat suddenly tight. "I didn't really go out of my way; it's at my work, after all."

"It mattered to me," she replied. Regan gave him a friendly squeeze. "You're all right, Hashiba," she finished teasingly.

* * *

"Why are you grinning at your phone, you weirdo?"

Regan put her cell down and glanced up at Robyn. "What's wrong with that?"

"You've been doing it all afternoon. I haven't seen you use your phone that frequently in…like never."

"I go through phases with it. The phone and I, we have a love-hate relationship. How was your visit with Cye and Kento?"

Robyn's face lit up. "It went great!"

The redhead regaled her with the tale of her visit, and Regan had to fight the urge to check her phone again. She'd exchanged phone numbers with Rowen last week, and spent an inordinate amount of time talking to him. He was just so damn funny! It was even hard to let it be at night, when she had to go to bed—he was a night owl, and she'd often wake up to a handful of texts and links to funny or interesting articles that he'd sent her throughout the night. Those texts were fast becoming the highlight of her mornings.

"…anyway, I was thinking we could grab lunch this Saturday, maybe walk around some of the districts, if I don't get called in to work."

Regan looked at her friend guiltily. "Babe, I wish I could, but I can't. I have plans. How about Sunday?"

Robyn sighed dramatically. "How does that even work? You have like no other friends here but me and your coworkers, and suddenly you have weekend plans. But I had to practically bribe my friends to spend time with me."

"That is not true and you know it." Another twinge of guilt accosted Regan. She knew she should just say she was going to Rowen's presentation, but for some reason, she wanted to keep this occasion to herself. Not to intentionally exclude Robyn, but to have a chance to feel out…whatever this was. Probably nothing. He was Robyn's friend, someone she happened to like spending time with, and it's not like Rowen invited Regan; he hadn't. He talked about it all week, and as his mannerisms grew agitated she could tell that he was a bit nervous. He cared far more about what people thought of him than he ought to.

He needed a little support. Regan could spare a few hours out of her day to do that, after he'd been kind enough to show her art created by one of her favorite architects.

That's all it was.

* * *

Rowen wasn't two minutes into his presentation when he spotted her.

He'd been warming up into his subject, getting himself into the headspace where the only thing that mattered was the science and his work and not the dozens of stares from around the room.

For a second, he thought his mind conjured her up. He only saw Regan when he popped in to surprise her at work to have lunch, and occasionally when he visited Robyn and she was home. Sure, they texted and sometimes talked on the phone, but he'd convinced himself that she was just amused by him and carried on because he was friends with Robyn.

But there she was. In the seventh row. When their eyes met, she gave him a bright smile and a little wave.

Had he been nervous? Had his heart beat this fast earlier? Rowen couldn't see the color of her eyes from this far, but he could picture their soothing depths in his mind.

He must have hesitated too long, because she was now gesturing for him to continue. Rowen cleared his throat, apologized for the delay, and breezed through the rest of the presentation.

By the applause he must have done well, but he ended up getting more annoyed than anything when he was stopped on his way through the room. He didn't see her for a few minutes, which made him think with increasing disappointment that she might have slipped out because she had other plans or didn't want—

"Wonderful presentation, Professor."

Rowen turned to find her standing behind him. "You hardly had to dance at all," she continued, her own eyes dancing. "They practically threw the money at you."

"I'm a terrible dancer anyway," he answered, his throat dry. "Regan?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Thank you for coming."

"You're welcome."

"Can I take you out to dinner?" As soon as he blurted it out, he felt heat rush to his cheeks. You could still be misinterpreting this, he warned himself. She's not even from here; she's just a nice person, albeit a hilarious, brilliant, gorgeous person, that he insinuated himself upon and bothered all the time and she tolerated—

"I would love that."

Regan's smile was almost…shy. If he didn't know any better, he'd say a little color tinged her cheeks, too. Rowen smiled so hard it made his face hurt. "Yeah?" She nodded. "Okay. That's…all right then. How about tonight?"

She laughed happily. "I'm free."

* * *

Robyn must have been near the door, she answered it shortly after the first knock. Her brilliant smile lit up her face when she saw who had stopped by.

"Rowen! Hi!" She paused when she noticed what he was wearing. A blue dress shirt, sleeves rolled to the elbows, and a darker tie. "Why are you dressed all fancy?"

Rowen opened his mouth, but no words came out. His brows furrowed. Did she not know why he was here?

"Oh, hey, right on time," Regan called from the hallway, trying to finish putting in her earrings. "Sorry, I'm the one who's running a little late."

"Late for what?" Robyn asked, cutting off Rowen's reply. She looked from one two the other. Both were dressed nice, both were expecting each other to be dressed nice.

Regan was still on automatic. Her brain hadn't stopped since that morning. Her thoughts were still going at full speed as she attempted to run home and get herself ready for the evening. "Just going to dinner. I won't be out too late."

"You and Rowen are going out to dinner together?"

The sharpness of Robyn's tone finally made Regan take pause. "Oh crap, I'm sorry, I forgot to mention it. Today just got so crazy. I barely had time to change my clothes. And we only talked about it earlier today at Rowen's presentation."

"Rowen had a presentation?" Robyn's voice rose an octave higher by the last word. She turned her wide-eyed gaze to Strata. "You didn't even mention it to me."

Rowen's collar suddenly felt a little tight. "I, uh..."

"You were working," Regan quickly said. "I just went for some moral support since he said during lunch-"

" _You two have been having lunch together_?" Her pitch was nearing the range of which only dogs could hear.

Regan winced at the tone. "Sorry?"

"You're sorry?!" Robyn demanded, her body language livid. "For the past few weeks I've hardly seen you. I haven't heard shit from _you_." She pointed an accusing finger at Rowen. "And you two have been seeing each other without even telling me? What the hell? Are you trying to hide this from me?"

Both Regan and Rowen startled at the accusation, now fully realizing their mistake.

"No, of course not," Regan insisted. And then she realized, maybe that wasn't completely true. Could she really honestly say that for weeks she had just been too busy to mention this? No, in truth, a part of her had not wanted Robyn to get involved. Why? Was it because he was Robyn's friend first? Because Robyn had a larger claim on him? Did she see Robyn as a rival? Regan hadn't even stopped to think about what she was doing. Now she felt bad.

"You guys didn't even want me around," Robyn accused. "I wouldn't have cared that you were seeing each other. Why didn't you want to tell me?"

"I honestly didn't know that you didn't know," Rowen said.

"Shut up," Robyn snapped at him. "You didn't know because you don't talk to me AT ALL anymore. You're too busy flirting with my best friend. _Both_ of you are sucky friends."

"You're right," Regan said. "We screwed up. I'm sorry. I don't know how to make this up to you. Do you... want to come with us?"

Robyn's sudden status of third wheel hit her full in the face. She looked at the two with utter disgust. "Ew, no. _Hell_ no. _Get out._ "

"Robyn..." Rowen started to say.

"I said get out." Her voice was going higher again in irritation. "Go eat dinner. I don't want to look at you. Get out."

Regan took a hesitant step across the threshold and Robyn slammed the door in their faces before they could say anything else.

The couple stood outside on the porch, staring at the door in silence.

"So, she yelled at us, but also told us to go out and have dinner." Rowen said in the silence. "Are we forgiven or not?"

They turned and began to walk toward the car.

"Forgiven eventually," Regan said. "After a while, I guess. Though we did screw up."

"I honestly thought you had told her," Rowen said thoughtfully. And he suddenly realized he should have known something was up when Robyn never texted or called him about it. He watched Regan over the hood, his car between them. "Why didn't you?"

Regan sighed. "I don't know. We were having so much fun."

"And you thought Robyn would tell you to stop?"

The dark-haired woman looked to the sky, shaking her head.

Rowen smirked. "You didn't want to share me. I feel so special."

"I'm sure you do," Regan snarked back and plopped herself into the passenger seat of the car. She hid her face in her hands, feeling like dirt, as Rowen slowly sat in the driver's seat and shut the door. Regan looked up when the car didn't start and she heard the distinct sounds of a phone.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm fixing this," Rowen said frankly.

"How?"

"I'm texting Sage."

Regan leaned over to see Rowen send the message "Go visit Robyn".

"How does that fix anything?" she asked.

"Are you kidding? There isn't a woman alive who wouldn't be overjoyed to see Sage standing on their doorstep."

A reply on Rowen's phone: "Why? What happened?"

He texted back. "Just visit her. Please."

"So, you just throw your best friend at women when you screw up?" Regan asked.

"Yeah. That's why I keep him around. His choice to stay single, not mine."

Sage's reply: "Fine."

She smirked at him. "All Sage's fault you're asking him to do this, I'm sure."

He smirked back before starting the car.. "He needs something to keep himself busy."

Regan looked back at the temporary home she shared with her best friend. A light of inspiration struck her brain. Maybe those two could keep each other busy.

* * *

Robyn sat at the table, drumming her fingers in irritation. She never expected her return to Japan to be this... lonely. This country was full of the most important people to her and they were all living their lives without her, moving further away and she was stuck in one spot, helplessly watching them go by. It felt like a wild breeze blowing everyone about, but for some reason, the wind could never reach her and she was stuck on the ground, watching them go by.

It was time to find her own breeze. Robyn grabbed her keys and left.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Sage pulled up to Robyn's place. There was a bit of irritation in his stride, but his pace slowed as he neared the front door and couldn't see any lights coming from the windows. A knock on the door confirmed that no one was home.

His eyebrow twitched, feeling like someone just played a joke on him.

"Rowen," he growled as he dug into his pocket for his phone.

* * *

"What's another bad decision that you instantly regretted?" Regan took a sip of wine and added,

"I already feel terrible, might as well ride it through."

Rowen chewed thoughtfully. "When I was twelve, I was mad at my mother for something, and I laid on so much long distance guilt that she flew all the way home. I threw that fit just to see if she would do it. She lost an assignment she'd been looking forward to for months. She probably spent twenty-three thousand yen—close to two grand—when it was all said and done."

Regan winced. "God, I'll bet you felt terrible."

"I felt like scum on the bottom of her shoe, mainly because she didn't really get mad at me for it."

"Ouch." Regan topped off his wine glass for that one.

"All right, now you go."

She sat back in her chair, staring off in the distance at the pretty light fixtures of the restaurant while she thought. He took a moment to admire how the candlelight turned her skin golden brown, deepened the color of her long hair until it was almost black. She wore a soft blue maxi dress that accentuated her figure.

"You look fantastic, by the way," he noted.

Rae gave him a dazzling smile. "Thank you. You're quite dashing yourself. Blue is a good color on you."

His mouth quirked up. She had no idea. "It looks great on you, too. Now guilt: lay it on me."

"Okay." She took a deep breath. "I've got one. A few years ago, I was so angry with my brother that I left him at a bar in downtown San Francisco—I mean, I took the car and didn't check to see if he had cab money to get home. I don't even remember what we were arguing about. It was pretty heated, and that rarely happens. He made it home, and I found out he was almost mugged trying to hail a cab."

"Oh, damn, Rae."

"I haven't felt this awful since that night. I was so upset with myself. He didn't hold it against me, either, which made me feel even worse."

"We're getting dessert for that one."

She laughed. "Cheers for stupid decisions."

They clinked glasses and drank. As Rowen put his glass down, his phone began to vibrate. He almost ignored it, but if it was Robyn…He pulled it out of his pocket, and saw that it was Sage.

"Hey, what's—"

"Where are you, Rowen?"

" _I_ am at dinner," he responded nonchalantly. "Aren't you supposed to be somewhere?"

"I'm at Robyn's. No one is here. What's going on?"

"What? Hold on." Rowen placed his palm over the receiver and then said to Regan. "Sage says no one's at your place."

Regan's eyes widened a little. She pulled out her purse and dug for her cell phone, instantly calling Robyn's number. It was answered on the second ring.

"What?" Robyn's flat voice spoke.

"You're not at home," Regan accused. "Where are you?"

"Out," Robyn said with clear irritation. Then she cut the call.

* * *

Robyn hung up her phone and then, as an afterthought, turned it off. She didn't want to hear from Regan for the rest of the night, she was still mad at her. Robyn shoved the phone into her pocket and then looked back up at the building before her.

It was the same dilapidated old construct she saw every day on the way to work. Its walls grayed with age, most of its windows broken. It was a creepy old building and it called to her with a voice she had been trying to ignore. No longer. This was her breeze and she had been resisting it.

The steel door to the building was set ajar and it was difficult to make it open more than a few inches wider. Once inside, Robyn listened to the stillness before switching on her flashlight. The building gave off a very distinct unsettling vibe, but she was immune to that. It was the possibility of running into any unscrupulous characters that made her wary. The place seemed to be devoid of the living, so she wandered in further.

Most of the building was gutted and bare, leaving nothing but a big, wide space and steel beams leading up to the ceiling. Robyn wasn't really sure what she was looking for, she never was in these situations, but the pull of this place was strong and it guided her.

She ended up at the far wall, her light directed as if by invisible hands to land upon a series of emblems and etchings drawn upon the concrete above her head. Cold seemed to radiate from that spot. Cold and something malevolent. Someone had been playing with something they weren't supposed to. They had, whether on purpose or by accident, opened a portal to darkness. And it was leaking out.

No sooner had she discovered this, did Robyn get the sense that, even though she was the only person in the building, she was not alone. Her scalp tingled as something darker than the shadows moved toward her. Coming from all directions, it slithered from its hiding place to converge upon its victim. As it was about to strike, Robyn spun to face it and from her came an invisible, but very real force that shattered everything. The colliding energy burst in all directions, blowing her red hair this way and that. Then, all was still and the feeling inside the building was completely different.

* * *

Though she hadn't been gone all that long, the lights were on when Robyn got home. Regan and Rowen were sitting on the couch in the living room, Sage on the extra chair. They all stood when she entered. Robyn raised a curious brow at the unexpected guests but said nothing. She still wasn't in the mood to talk to two out of the three people there.

Regan, however, was taken aback as she more than just saw Robyn's entrance. She could _feel_ the redhead's presence.

"Where have you been?" she accused. "I thought we agreed you were going to stop coming back like... like this."

The two men had no idea what she was talking about, but Robyn knew. When darkness called her, even though she would disperse it, it would linger upon her for hours, sometimes days afterward. It stuck to her like cat hair and she would track it home like one tracks in mud. Regan hated it.

Robyn fixed a look upon her. " _You_ told me to get a hobby. And then you stopped telling me anything else. I don't have to report to you and you don't have to treat me like a child when I go out at night."

Robyn was about to leave when Sage stood in her way. He looked her over, his violet eyes transfixed on more her aura than her physical form. Sage could feel it, too. Probably far more acutely than Regan could. Robyn didn't really feel up to talking to him either and was going to move right past him when he put an arm around her and pulled her in for a slight hug.

The energy stirred again, much more subtly this time. This close to him, Robyn was momentarily aware of the armor of Halo's presence around him. Then, everything felt neutral. The darkness she dragged in was gone as easy as blinking an eye.

"I'm sorry our friends are being particularly pesky tonight," Sage said lowly.

"You, too, huh?" she asked. Robyn still wasn't sure what Sage was doing there, but she was sure he was annoyed at Rowen because of it.

The blonde and the redhead both glared at the couple that had inconvenienced them that day. Rowen shifted uncomfortably under their gazes. Regan, however, was focused on the energy change. She knew it had come from Sage. Was it because he was such a spiritual person? And the two of them, Sage and Robyn, standing as a united front against her and Rowen, Regan couldn't help but think they were cute together. A secret plan began to form in her brain. She could remedy this.

"I'm going home now," Sage then announced and walked out without any further good-byes.

"And I'm going to my room," Robyn said.

Regan wanted to say something, but knew she'd make it worse. She flinched a little when the redhead's door shut forcefully.

"I owe you an apology, too," she said to Rowen, feeling deflated. "This wouldn't have happened if I had handled this better. I didn't want her mad at you."

"I excel at making people mad," he joked.

She smiled slightly. "I'll walk you out to your car."

They stepped outside in silence. He had his keys in his hand when he confessed, "I'm not an innocent, injured party here either. I couldn't believe you wanted to keep seeing me, so my vision kind of tunneled." He paused and tilted his head at her. "Would you still want to? Just, you know, smarter?"

Regan laughed softly. "We could try it again. I'll call you." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek, getting close enough to catch the wonderful scent of him. "Goodnight, Rowen."

He angled his head to steal a quick, soft kiss on her lips, and had the pleasure of making her blush. "Goodnight, Rae. Tomorrow will be better."

* * *

That night, Robyn lay awake in bed, surrounded by darkness. Her door squeaked open and a few seconds later, she felt another body climb in bed with her. Most of the time, the two of them were fully functioning adults. But there were times they reverted back to the children they were when they first met.

"Bad dreams?" Robyn finally asked after several moments of silence.

"Bad day," Regan sighed to the back of her head.

"It's your own fault."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"I don't understand why you did it," Robyn said, her back still to her friend. "Why didn't you want to tell me?"

Regan sighed much louder, staring at the ceiling, one arm beneath her head. "I don't know. I got selfish, I guess. I enjoyed Rowen's company and I didn't want to share his time with you. And I really wanted to see where this was going by myself. I didn't expect to like him this much."

"I didn't expect you to bail on me the second a cute guy starts flirting with you."

"I wasn't…" Regan stopped herself. No, it wasn't her intention, but she did ignore Robyn pretty hard, however unintentional, for the past few weeks. "It was more just…He started showing up at my work, and then those afternoons were all I could think about it. I'd never clicked with anyone like that before. And I just got consumed with it."

"Understatement. Did you even take your medication when you went to dinner?"

Regan furrowed her brow, then sighed. "Damn."

"You better. If something happens and you missed a dose, you will be in a world of hurt."

"Well, that just drives your point home, doesn't it?" Regan murmured. "Not talking to you about it or sharing it with you, when he's your friend, too, was thoughtless, and I really am sorry. I never want to bail on you. Please don't think that you're not still important to me."

"I know. It just really hurt my feelings."

Robyn let Regan shift closer and rest her head on Robyn's shoulder. They were silent for long minutes. "I'm sorry, too, for freaking out when you came back," Regan finally said quietly. "I just hate it when you do that without telling me."

"Well, what was I supposed to do? I was mad at you, and I'm _good_ at this. You have to learn to trust me with that, like I trust you. I'm not an infant."

Regan heard the frustration in Robyn's voice. "No, you're not," she said slowly. "It just scares me, if something were to happen and I wasn't there to help. I'll work on it, though. I promise." She ended with a whispered, "I'm not asking you to forgive me now. I just wanted to tell you that I know I messed up and I hurt you. That I'll communicate with you more and balance this better. We can talk about it more tomorrow or drop it, whatever you want."

The brunette kissed the back of Robyn's head and rose to leave.

Despite not yet being ready to think about her and Rowen's relationship in a positive light, Robyn felt a sliver of regret for some of her earlier angrier thoughts, like wishing their dinner went horribly. She was still sore from it all, but love tempered the hurt feelings. She knew it'd eventually close the wound.

"Take your medicine, and come back if you want," Robyn offered.

She heard Regan in the bathroom a moment later, and after a few minutes the mattress sank as the brunette climbed back in.


	4. Chapter 4

**Urban Legend**

 **Chapter Four**

 **One Month Later**

Regan stared out the window at the beautiful greenery as the jeep continued to climb the mountain road. The closer they came to their destination, the more her excitement grew. It had been nothing but work, work, work her entire stay in Toyama. This brief vacation would finally allow her some time to really get a taste of the culture and enjoy the beauty of this country.

"Oh! I think I see the hotel," she announced, pressing her index finger against the glass. "Right up there."

Kento, from the driver's seat, ducked his head to peer up through windshield at the building nearly swallowed by all the trees. "No, I don't think that's the one. That's too high up there. The one we're going to should be coming up soon."

Next to Regan, Robyn retrieved the brochure that had been floating around the vehicle the entire trip. She glanced at the picture on the front fold and then leaned over Regan to look at the building she discovered.

"Yeah, doesn't look like the same place."

Rowen glanced back from the passenger seat. He would have rather sat in back with the girls, but Kento's back seat wasn't exactly accommodating to people of Strata's height. "I'm sure there's a few different places. Lots of tourists come out here for the hot springs."

The jeep hit a bump in the road, jostling all of its passengers. To Robyn's other side, Ryo stirred from where he had fallen asleep, head practically cradled by his seat belt strap. Robyn hoped he wasn't going to sleep for the next four days; not that Wildfire didn't deserve the rest. The long shifts at work kept him pretty busy. They were lucky he managed to get any time off at all.

Behind them, Cye followed in his car, carrying Mia and Sage. Kento claimed he knew how to get there, so they let him lead the way.

"So, this isn't one of those places with a men's side and a women's side and you go into the water naked, right?" Regan asked.

"There are places like that," Kento answered, "but we're hitting one of the main tourist sites. They usually have one or two pools for everyone and you go in your bathing suit."

Robyn elbowed her friend. "You did bring one, right Rae? I know you do like getting naked, but this isn't the place."

"I brought one," Regan insisted. "I was just making sure."

"Too bad," Rowen said wistfully from the front. "I would have been okay without your bathing suit."

Regan and Robyn both kicked the back of his chair.

"Hey! Be nice to the upholstery," Kento complained.

"And Rowen!" Rowen added.

"Mostly the upholstery," Kento insisted.

"That's what you're dating," Robyn informed Regan as she nodded in Rowen's direction.

"Shut up, you love him, too," the darker-skinned woman retorted.

Rowen glanced back to grin at her and Robyn wrinkled her nose at him. It had been a month now since she found out her two friends had been seeing each other. The jury was still out on whether or not it was going to go anywhere or if the relationship was a good idea to begin with, since the involved parties called completely different countries their home. But Robyn was getting used to it.

Whether for good or ill, the relationship did result in Robyn seeing her friends more often. She often got invited out to movies with the couple and Sage—of which she would otherwise not see Halo at all, so that was nice. It still felt odd sometimes, like how Rowen turned most of his innuendos toward Regan now when they used to all be directed at her. Robyn was still trying to convince herself she was not jealous of that, nor did she miss it.

"Here it is," Kento announced, turning off the main road at a large street sign. They drove down a short path with tall trees standing at attention on either side. The road then opened into a large parking lot and, beyond that, a gorgeous construct that felt half modern hotel, half rustic cabin. It was a very inviting sight.

The several buses parked in the lot, however, were not.

"Oh boy," Regan said. "How many kids do you think are here?"

"Oh man, I bet Sage's face is priceless," Rowen said, glancing behind him. "I can tell you right now he is _not_ going to want to stay here."

Cye's expression mirrored that sentiment. He was frowning slightly when they parked next to the jeep and he stepped out of the car. Sage's face was practically a thunderstorm as he stared at the buses. Though none of the party looked that excited at the prospect of sharing their vacation with several dozen teenagers.

"It might be fine," Kento said. "Maybe they have separate facilities for large parties. We might not have to see them at all. Let's at least check it out."

Unfortunately, when the group went to the front desk, they found this was not the case. The place was crawling with school-aged kids: in the lobby, in the halls, everywhere. Any hopes of having a quiet vacation were shattered with all the teenagers milling in every corner.

"Maybe they're leaving soon," Mia suggested hopefully while Kento, the one who had booked their reservation, talked to the front counter.

"At the beginning of a weekend?" Rowen countered. "Doubtful."

The overall morale of the group dropped lower the longer they stood in the lobby, immersed in the chaos of young noise and energy. A group of boys actually moved to give Sage a wide swath of space when he glared at them for talking too loudly.

After a while, Kento returned to the group, no papers or keys in hand. The desk clerk was still bowing in apology behind him.

"Okay, so here's our options: we can stay and make the best of it. They'll try to give us rooms as far away from the main group as possible, but these kids have pretty much taken over every level already. Our other choice is they'll let us cancel the reservation no charge if we want to just get out of here."

The group took a moment to ruminate on the possibilities.

"What about that place further up the mountain?" Regan piped up. "That place I saw from the road? Could we try that? Maybe since it's further away, they won't have as many people there."

Several eyebrows rose at the promise of a better option.

"I don't mind checking it out," Cye said. "It could be an adventure."

Several other nods confirmed the rest of the group agreed.

"Great, I'll let them know we're gonna go, then," Kento said. Sage was already fleeing for the exit in the wake of some tittering school girls.

* * *

Ryo awoke to the sound of a car door shutting. He had been left slumbering in the jeep until the group knew what they were doing. Wildfire stretched with a large yawn.

"Are we there?"

"We were, but the place is infested," Rowen said.

"With bugs?"

"Worse. Teenagers. We're gonna check out another place further up the mountain."

"God, I feel old," Kento said with a hint of disgust. "When did I start acting like such a geezer?"

"When we all started getting real jobs where we actually had to work for a living," Rowen said. "Now we only deal with other people's kids when we're paid to."

The hotel Regan saw didn't show up on the GPS map of anyone's phones, so Kento had to backtrack until they spotted it, higher up on the mountainside, and then seek out the only road that snaked through the hills to get to it. It was a beautiful drive, and the party rolled down the windows to let in the smell of fresh pine. Just when they thought they'd somehow missed a turn-off, despite their being no indication of another road on the map, the road widened to the right in the form of a small parking lot, and the hotel lay before them.

"Nice," Kento said as he pulled into the lot. "This is old school."

"Ryokan," Wildfire clarified after a moment. "More like a traditional, historical Japanese inn than a modern hotel," he added for Regan's benefit.

The outside did indeed have a traditional Japanese architectural style, heralding back a century or two. The hotel was broken into two sections, with a covered walkway connecting the two halves. Beyond, they could see a garden, and the edge of what looked like a hot spring. The building looked well kept, and most important of all, hardly crowded: there were only three other cars in the parking lot.

The group trouped to the main entrance, and the girls made noises of appreciation at the open, inviting communal space of the lobby. Wide windows showcased the greenery outside, and comfortable, low couches and chairs invited one to sit and admire the scenery. Sage visibly relaxed at the emptiness of the lobby, and the entire group as whole seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at the stark and welcome change from their original hotel.

"Welcome, travelers."

An older gentleman with a kind smile stepped away from the front desk to bow a greeting to them, which they returned. "Can I interest you in a place to stay for the evening?"

Kento explained to him what had happened, and the short, old man listened with sympathy at the unexpected change of plans. He brightened when Kento asked if three rooms for three nights would be available, and ushered Hardrock over to the front desk to discuss the price and secure the rooms.

"My name is Yushin, and if you should require anything, you may ring the front desk."

"If we were interested in dinner…" Mia inquired politely, leaving it open-ended.

"Oh, yes! Because we are so far up the mountain, we offer all meals as part of the room rate. The eating area is adjacent to the lobby." He motioned to a large open walkway near the back of the building. "All meals are buffet style and there is a schedule of when we serve in the brochure." He nodded to the collection of papers and keys he had given Kento. "We also offer room service if preferred, at extra cost, and there is a full menu in each room."

When all was settled, Yushin pointed them in the direction of their rooms and the group filed out to retrieve their luggage. All hallways of the hotel were hardwood, giving the place a very rustic, old-fashioned feel. Once they found their reserved room numbers Kento passed out the keys; Mia and Cye received one, Robyn and Regan the second, and Ryo, Kento, Rowen, and Sage the third. Robyn and Regan's faced the guys' room while Cye and Mia's was the next door down the hall.

"Oh, my," Mia said as she entered her room. She put down her bag by the small cherry wood table with a tea set and containers of loose leaf tea. There was one large futon on a raised wooden platform in the center of the room, and the back wall was all windows which faced a garden and the forest beyond. A fine mist filtered in from the forest and snaked through the garden. "This place is beautiful."

Cye hummed an agreement as he came up behind her. His arms wrapped around her waist, and he rested his chin on her shoulder. "I'm glad Robyn made us all go on vacation," he said quietly.

Mia rested her back against his chest. "Me, too. I can't remember the last time we did anything like this."

He kissed her neck. "We'll have to remedy that, starting with this trip."

Four whole days and three nights alone with this man, and with no distractions. To Mia, it sounded like heaven. Perhaps the rest of the group could entertain themselves while she just kept Cye in bed all to herself for a day. Mia turned in his arms to face him and brushed her lips across his. "I hope you're not too tired from driving to stay up tonight," she whispered.

Cye grinned down at her. "For you, love, I can manage."

Across the hall, the four Ronins were unpacking. The room only had two futons on the upraised platform, but they were wide and would easily accommodate two people.

"This place is really empty," Ryo commented.

"Yeah, let's hear it for peace and quiet," Kento replied. He fell back on one of the futons and lay there like a dead man, limbs sprawled out. "Ugh, no more driving for me, I'm done."

Sage hit Kento's foot with his bag as he walked past. "It does feel a bit like this is all too perfect."

"This place is off the beaten path," Rowen said. "And it looks like our first pick was _everyone's_ first pick. It's only Friday, too, and it's still early; more people might trickle in tonight or tomorrow morning. Stop being paranoid when a good thing falls in your lap."

Sage just continued to frown slightly. Especially when Rowen tossed his travel bag on the bed they were going to share. He knew Sage hated it when people put their luggage on the bed.

"For once in our lives, a bad stroke of luck turned into something good," Strata continued. "Let's just enjoy it while we can. We may not get another chance to take three beautiful women to a hot springs." Rowen stepped closer to his best friend, eye to eye and toe to toe. "Look me in the eye and tell me you do not want to see them in their bathing suits."

Sage narrowed his gaze at him. "Get your bag off the bed."

* * *

"Look at this! Everything is so close to the floor!" Regan cried happily as she surveyed the room. "It's so authentic! I love it!" She knelt in front of the tiny kotatsu and actually rubbed her cheek against the smooth wood surface. "Look at this adorable tea set! This room is perfect!"

"Glad you like it," Robyn said with less excitement as she dropped her bag next to the equally low futon. She flopped backward onto the mattress and found it to be pleasantly plush. Regan's coos of approval continued to fill the air as the redhead closed her eyes for a moment.

"Oh, they even gave us robes," Regan said as she opened the closet.

Robyn cracked an eye to see what her friend was looking at. "Yukata. You can pretty much just wear them around the hotel all day and night. You don't have to get dressed again until we leave if you want to."

Regan barked out a laugh. "That sounds awesome." She flopped on the bed beside her friend. "We're going to have so much fun, Rob!"

Robyn sighed and rolled over on her stomach. "Just promise me you won't spend the whole time sucking face with Rowen. I'd actually like to spend some time with the two of you at some point."

Regan placed a hand to her heart, eyes wide and innocent. "Me? I would _never._ "

"Uh huh. If Sage doesn't hang out with us, I have no hope of talking to anyone while we're all out together."

Regan rested a cheek upon her palm. "What do you think of Sage, anyway?"

Robyn raised a suspicious brow. "I like him just fine."

"Only like?"

Robyn's jaw dropped in offense. "Are you trying to set me up with him? Is that why you're always inviting both him and me out with you?"

Her friend glanced away in guilt.

"Regan Sundari!"

"Come on, Robyn. Wouldn't it be so much fun? Best friends dating best friends? I think I chose a pretty hot guy for you."

"You don't get to _choose_ guys for me! That's my decision!"

"If I left it up to you, you'd be single forever!"

Robyn's retort was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Everyone decent?" Kento's voice asked with humor.

With one last disapproving look, Robyn went to answer the door to find the rest of their group standing in the hall. Robyn stepped aside so they could wander in and everyone could talk with each other.

"Everyone's settled in. What do you guys want to do now?" Kento asked.

"All that talk about the buffet earlier made me hungry," Robyn instantly said.

"Dinner starts at six. What time is it now?"

Rowen glanced at his watch. "Almost 4:30."

Robyn sighed.

"How about we go to the hot springs," Regan suggested enthusiastically.

"We'll probably want to wait on that," Cye informed her. "The hot springs are _hot_. Trust me; you don't want to go in while it's still 70 degrees outside. Even at night, it's possible to overheat yourself if you're not careful."

"We could just wander around until dinner," Mia suggested. "We're all tired from the trip, let's just look around and relax until then."

That sounded good to everyone. They traveled back to the gorgeous hotel lobby and then into the second half of the building, where they found a cozy game room stocked with plush chairs and table tennis. It was empty, and the games looked like they hadn't been played recently. On the opposite side of the hall, they found the door that led to the springs and they all wandered out to inspect the facilities.

The pool was man-made, but designed to imitate a natural spring with carefully placed rocks and foliage. Instead of an oval shape, it snaked around to curve behind thick plants and rock structures, allowing several parties to sit in the springs and still enjoy some privacy from each other. Mia cooed over how gorgeous it was while Regan experimentally dipped her hand in the water. Cye was right; that was too hot to be sitting in on a summer afternoon, but it would feel amazing when the mountain chill of night settled in.

Beyond the springs, there was a dormant fire pit with benches and chairs. The property was cordoned off by a moderate stone fence and an iron gate. Ryo experimentally checked the lock and the door swung open. He stepped off the concrete and was immediately bombarded with the wilds of the forest. Thick brush and trees grew all around; the sounds of birds filled the air. Ryo took in a deep, appreciative breath. It smelled incredible. You didn't get this in the city. It made him nostalgic for his boyhood home in the woods.

"Hey, neat!" Kento called as he poked his head out as well.

Mia followed him out. "Looks like there's a bit of a trail from previous guests. We should go hiking tomorrow!"

Several others agreed with the idea as they stepped back onto the property and closed the gate behind them. The group then spent the rest of their time lounging around the cold fire pit, chatting and relaxing until it was time for dinner services.

The food at dinner was just as pleasing and rustic as the rest of the hotel. Everything had a warm, rich taste to it. Rowen commented that it was like eating food straight out of a Ghibli movie. It did sort of make them all feel like they had been spirited away to a different world, far up here in the mountains.

There did seem to be a few other guests at dinner, but the group hardly noticed. They were having too much of a good time eating and enjoying each other's company.

After dinner, they retreated to their respective rooms to change for the hot springs. It was already growing dark outside. In the city, they would have nearly two more hours of sunshine, but up here, the mountains blocked the light as soon as the sun began to set.

* * *

Regan tied the sash around her yukata after admiring her bathing suit in the mirror. There was probably a more Japanese way of tying it, but this was good enough. She wouldn't be wearing it for long. The hotel issued robes were all light blueish-gray in color. Nothing too flattering, but very comfortable.

Robyn stepped out of the bathroom in a single piece suit. It was something she had purchased for the trip to Japan and the first bathing suit she had owned in her entire adult life. She had never been all that comfortable showing a lot of skin, no matter who the company was.

"Oh, that's cute, Robyn," Regan encouraged. "It really fits your body type."

"Thanks." Robyn hardly paid much mind to the compliment. She was already turned around to face the bathroom mirror as she put her hair up.

She saw Regan's reflection slip up behind her. "Wow, this suit makes your boobs look fantastic. Are they bigger than mine now? When did that happen? Let me see."

Robyn swatted her away as Regan tried to grope her chest from behind. "Get off me, lezbo! Go feel up your boyfriend's chest."

"I think we can both agree his are not as good as yours."

Robyn couldn't help but snort at that. Regan saw her opening and attacked again. This resulted in quite a few feminine squeals and cries.

"Stop, I'm sensitive there!"

"You know you like it."

"Get away from me!"

"It's not like I haven't felt them before."

"Don't say that so loud!"

"Someone's got to feel them up; you won't let a man do it."

Then, there was a knock at the door.

"Ladies," Rowen's voice sang. "Do you need some help?"

Regan immediately stopped her assault and merrily danced toward the door.

"Wait! Wait!" Robyn cried, scrambling to grab a yukata to cover up.

Regan didn't wait. Robyn was still tugging the robe over herself as she opened the door.

"Sounds like you were having an interesting time in here," Rowen said as he leered down at Regan, taking her all in. "I hope you weren't having fun without me."

"Sorry, but it was a no-boys party," she bantered back.

"Pity. How about, instead, you show me what you've got on under that?"

Regan gave him a scolding look while simultaneously untying her robe to flash her high cut bikini at him.

Rowen gave her a low whistle. "Nice."

"I second that," Kento teased with a wink as he walked passed.

That actually made Regan blush a bit as she re-tied her robe. Though she was dating Rowen, all his friends were good-looking and it made her face warm when one of them flirted with her.

"Maybe we should just forget the springs and stay in this evening," Rowen said lowly in her ear, one finger tugging at her sash.

"You have no shame," Regan accused, leaning in closer.

"None."

Robyn made a disgusted noise as she shouldered past them into the hall with her towel.

Sage and Ryo emerged from their room, all in the same color yukata, as Kento pounded on Cye and Mia's door. "Hey, stop making out in there. It's time to go!" He turned to jab a finger at Regan and Rowen's direction. "You, too!"

Regan made a sheepish face as she fetched her own towel and joined them in the hall. Mia and Cye came out a bit later, a little dreamy eyed and disheveled, indicating there had definitely been some canoodling going on behind closed doors.

* * *

So far, the springs seemed to be empty. The other guests were probably still eating and waiting for the air to cool a bit more. There was still a tiny bit of sunlight peeking through the trees, but it was fading fast.

While everyone was setting their things aside near a group of chairs, Robyn approached the side of the springs, taking in its serenity. It really almost felt like they were out in the wilderness with all the rocks and the foliage. She was about to dip her toe in to test the temperature when someone grabbed her from behind.

"I think they _did_ get bigger than mine!" Regan exclaimed, sizing the redhead's breasts with both palms.

Robyn froze, her mouth open in a soundless cry. Then she finally managed a scream, shoving Regan off her with a single, hard push and forcing her into the water with a splash.

If anyone had missed the show, they were all watching now as Regan burst from the water. "Hot! Hot!" she gasped, trying to wipe water and hair from her face.

Robyn had since retreated to another part of the pool area, arms protectively around herself.

"Now, now, children," Cye said as he calmly stepped into the water. "Let's behave ourselves. We don't want to be the teenagers spoiling someone else's vacation, do we?"

Regan felt her way to the side of the pool to be met with Rowen, sitting on the edge, feet dangling in the hot water. He offered her a towel and she wiped her face and tried to dry her hair a little.

"The water becomes you, my dear. That drowned rat look—sexy."

She smirked at him, and then took another look. Although they had been more or less officially dating for a month, this was the first time either had seen the other showing that much skin. Damn. She just assumed Rowen was lean beneath his shirt; she didn't expect a pack of well-defined abs under there.

"Like what you see?" he teased in a low voice.

"Hardly," she shot back, throwing the towel at him and then wading off to find a place to sit. Rowen was still smirking as he slid in all the way and followed her, sitting next to her. He threw an arm around her shoulders despite her dampness and let her cuddle up to his side.

Once everyone else had settled, Robyn felt it safe enough to enter the pool herself. She slipped into the space between Kento and Sage, keeping a sharp eye on Regan as she did so. Her friend, however, was more interested in flirting with Rowen and discovering his muscles to pay any attention. So Robyn closed her eyes, breathing deep and taking in the mossy, foggy smell of the hot springs.

"Aaand we've lost half our group," Kento observed as both couples seemed more intent on snuggling with each other than paying attention to anyone else. In the distance, another couple had slipped into the water, also embracing in the mist.

Ryo was frowning at them all with a bit of jealousy.

"Bummer being single again, huh?" Robyn asked in general. She still didn't know much about Ryo's previous relationship aside from the fact that it was the girlfriend who had ended it with him and Ryo was still having a hard time getting over it.

"Nah, I'm loving the single life," Kento said, though the question was clearly meant for Ryo. But perhaps he had answered for Ryo's benefit. Hardrock stretched his arms above his head and then relaxed deeper into the pool. One arm draped casually over the poolside behind Robyn's shoulders.

"You guys have no idea how great it's been not having Fumi around. It's quieter; I'm not as stressed out all the time. I can go out and do what I want without someone asking me where I am and who I'm with every five minutes. I get my bed back to myself. It's heaven."

Ryo looked down a little as Kento listed off the last thing, but didn't say anything and his face remained mostly neutral.

"Just out of curiosity, was this girl really that bad?" Robyn asked.

"That's what I keep asking," Mia said, having noticed the conversation.

"What I can put into words doesn't even scratch the surface of the level of weirdness I had to put up with. You only met her that one time you and Cye had dinner with us. You know what Fumi told me afterward? She said I shouldn't see you guys anymore because Mia, and I quote, 'looked at me.'"

"I see."

"Work was a nightmare. I would text her my schedule and then she would... test me? She would ask me if I was free on days when I worked to see if she could catch me lying. Or she'd just show up at the restaurant expecting me to be standing right at the front door with open arms, waiting for her. If I was stuck working in the kitchen, there would be hell to pay until I would come out and prove I was working and not banging some chick behind her back."

"Were you?" Robyn snorted.

"No! Never! I'm not going to do that to the girl I'm with!"

"And you stayed with her that long why?"

"She seemed downright normal when we first started dating. Only a psycho in the sack, if you know what I'm saying."

Sage made a distasteful face, but Robyn broke up laughing.

"But these guys can agree, the crazy kind of snuck up on me and I started getting used to it," Kento continued. "Until one day, I woke up to find myself in this stressful, poisonous relationship and I realized I was not happy at all. I had to end it."

"We almost had a party," Ryo chuckled, now getting more into the story.

"I didn't realize I hadn't seen her at full crazy until I broke up with her. I'll have to show you some of her texts that I still have on my phone."

"Oh man, I feel like there's so many more stories about this," Robyn grinned. Sage's cool hand touching her cheek surprised her.

"You're beginning to look a little flush," Halo told her pragmatically. "You probably shouldn't sit so far into the water."

Since Regan's earlier "attack" had made her a bit body-conscious, Robyn had been slouched in the hot water up to her neck. She slowly rose up, folding her arms across her chest as she glanced at her own cleavage. Boobs were stupid. She hardly had any to speak of in high school. Then, when her adult life became more stable and she was able to start putting some weight on her skinny body, suddenly they were in the way whenever she tried to turn the page of a book or open a cupboard.

Sage climbed out of the pool, padding over to a corner that contained towels and a spigot built into the ground. He came back with a cold, wet cloth and placed it on the crown of Robyn's head before reclaiming his seat.

Robyn hadn't realized that she was nearing overheat territory until she felt that coolness. "Thank you."

Sage just nodded at her, giving one of his rare smiles before he sat back, elbows propped up on the edge behind him. That action made Robyn aware of the blond's lean, but well-muscled form. But they were all like that, weren't they?

In the years she had last seen them, they had all grown taller, broader, bigger. They took up so much space now; not just physically, but by their presence. In her absence, they had found more confidence, both in themselves and in dealing with the people around them. When she thought of these things, it made her feel quite privileged to be around them.

"Aw, look at Sage taking care of Robyn," Regan whispered to Rowen as she watched from a few feet away. "Aren't they cute together?"

Rowen shrugged after scrutinizing the scene. "I guess..."

She elbowed him. "Come on, wouldn't they make a cute couple?"

"A cute—" Rowen paused as a light bulb flashed in his brain. "Ooh, so that's why you keep insisting I always invite Sage. You're being sneaky."

"I'm helping out a friend who could use a little romance in her life. Besides, it would be fun: you and me, Sage and Robyn. It would be so perfect."

Rowen could practically see her daydreams of them picking out similar houses next door to each other, all of them having children the same age. Hell, probably sharing the same wedding ceremony. It was so comical he almost laughed.

"Just don't tell Sage about how you've planned out the rest of his life. He _hates_ people making decisions for him. He could be head over heels for Robyn and he'd leave her just to spite you."

"I'm sure he's not that bad."

"You should ask his family. They're all hounding him for marriage and kids. In response, Sage stopped dating completely. He'll probably take a vow of chastity and become a monk if they don't leave him alone soon."

Regan laughed outwardly while, internally, she still hadn't given up hope.

The group talked and laughed for over an hour until it became apparent they were all getting too warm for the water. A few of them would sit up on the side of the pool until they cooled down, then another member or two would do the same. Even though it was dark now, the night was still very humid.

It was Mia's suggestion that they eventually get out and move over to the now crackling fire pit. There was a look in her eye that implied she had plans for them.

With the hot water and the warm night air, most were not in a huge hurry to find a towel or get in their robes. Despite the summer weather, Robyn still hugged herself and shivered a little as she went to locate her towel. She hated being wet and feeling exposed. And where did she leave that thing?

Suddenly, comforting warmth embraced her as Ryo wrapped her in a towel from behind. "Got you covered, Robyn."

"Ha, that's kinda punny, Ryo."

"I guess it is, isn't it?" He laughed. He was still hugging her and Robyn enjoyed it. Though Robyn had the distinct impression the embrace was more for him than for her. She allowed it as long as he needed.

Eventually, everyone gathered around the fire pit, dressed in robes and flip flops. Mia had hustled herself off back to her room for a moment, but returned quickly with a book in her hand.

"What's that?" Regan asked when the brunette sat herself down next to her.

"A book of urban legends and ghost stories," Mia beamed. "It's a Japanese tradition to read ghost stories in the summer. They say getting the chills will help keep you cool in the hot weather."

"Oh, that's neat. I've never heard of that."

"There's also an ancient ceremony called the _Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai_ -The Gathering of 100 Ghost Stories. Of course, it's a little difficult to do as it requires 100 people. What you're supposed to do is wait until it gets dark, then everyone lights a candle. One by one, each person tells a ghost story or _kaiden_ and then blows out their candle. It becomes darker and darker until the last candle is blown out. Then, they say you will still see one light glowing in the blackness. This is from the spirit you summoned."

"Cool!" Regan peered over Mia's shoulder as she flipped through the book to find a story. The pictures were charcoal sketches, and she pulled the robe tighter around her with a shiver of excitement when Mia paused at a sketch of a woman with no face.

"That's a big ass book, Mia. We should get some s'mores for this, we might be here for awhile," Kento suggested.

Regan smirked. "Kento, you know the fire is only for pancakes."

The group erupted in laughter; even Ryo. Regan squirmed with pleasure when Rowen dropped his head on her shoulder as he laughed.

"Dammit, I didn't bring any pancake mix," Kento lamented.

"All you need are berries and leaves, we could make it happen," Robyn teased, winking at Ryo.

"This'll follow me to my grave, won't it?" Ryo asked, but his smile was genuine.

"Undoubtedly," Cye chuckled. "Mia, why don't you go first, darling?"

"The keeper of all knowledge," Kento intoned in a dramatic, movie trailer rumble. "Mia Koji-soon-to-be-Mouri."

"Teller of tales," Ryo added in an equally gravelly tone.

"Guardian of ancient legends," Rowen finished in a deep voice.

Mia blushed and laughed self-consciously, especially with the way Cye regarded her from where he'd sat with Kento. She tucked her hair behind her ears and looked down at the book in her lap. "Thanks, guys," she said, almost shyly. "I'll start with a fairly common one, but I still find it pretty creepy. Especially when I'm alone at the house." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if to slip into the role of revered storyteller the men bestowed on her.

"You are never more vulnerable than when you are alone in the bathroom," she said softly, although her voice easily carried to the group. "Using the restroom, or in the shower, when you're not fully dressed and your guard is down. Perhaps you stayed late at work, and you need to use the restroom before going home. The public restroom is empty and all the stall doors are open. You choose one and close the door. You can hear nothing but the sound of your own breathing and the faint squeak of the soles of your shoes.

"And then a man speaks … from the stall _right next_ to you. "Do you want the red paper … or the blue paper?" You're startled, and afraid. You lean down to peer across the gap in the stalls, and there are no feet, no legs; _nothing_. "Excuse me?" you ask weakly."

Mia's voice changed from the hesitant notes of a sheep to the sly tone of a wolf. "He repeats the same phrase. "Do you want the red paper … or the blue paper?" Your heart pounds. You don't know whether to bolt out of the stall or stay put. You didn't hear anyone come in; where _is_ he? Weakly, you respond. "…blue?" You hold your breath. It's silent again. You can't even hear him breathing.

"And then your stall door unlatches and opens with a long creeeak. A tall figure in a red cape rushes inside the stall and pounces on you, cold fingers wrapping around your throat and squeezing. You can hardly fight him, he's so heavy; it's getting harder to breathe. As your vision blackens, you see it: Aka Manto's terrible grin."

A hush fell over the group when Mia finished. Her eyes gleamed in the firelight, and she gave them a crafty smile.

"What happens if you choose red?" Regan whispered.

"He _slices_ you open." Mia mimicked the movement on Regan's side and she yelped, and then laughed.

"What if you choose a different color?" Robyn asked.

"He drags you to hell."

"Like you do," Kento said at the same time Cye muttered, "I always found that a little extreme."

"All hail the storytelling queen!" Ryo mimed bowing down, with Kento and Rowen following suit. "I don't think anyone can top that."

Rowen gestured for the book. "I know I can't, but I'll give it a try."

"You are dramatic enough," Sage said dryly.

He ignored Halo as Mia passed him the book. He closed his eyes, flipped through the pages, and stopped at a random page, thumbing back a few to find the beginning of the story. "Oh man, I _would_ find this one." Strata read from the book where Mia didn't have to before.

"The trains of Tokyo are traveled by millions every day." His voice slipped into a deeper timbre as he took on the role of narrator. "Accidents happen along those rails, and the world moves on. But some accidents leave an imprint … a stain. Some victims remain, and enact vengeance on those around them for their untimely fate.

"The last train of the night leaves in fifteen minutes, and you rush into the subway to make it in time. So fast, in fact, you have five minutes to spare. You catch your breath, and notice the platform is completely empty. That's odd; there's always a handful of people, no matter the time of day. But it's deserted now. A few of the fluorescent lights flicker, and in the distance, you can hear the squeal of the train wheels, though it's far away yet. All is silent otherwise.

"You hear it then. A faint dragging sound, as if someone were dragging a sack behind them. You see nothing on either side of you, but the noise persists … until it's a scratching sound. _Teke teke_."

Rowen then mimicked the sound so well that all three girls jumped. Strata didn't smile, but he winked at Regan. "You see her then. A girl, to your right. She's low to the ground, as if she'd fallen, and you start to help her up when you realize she has no legs and she's pulling herself … digging her elbows into the tile, grasping with her fingers, and dragging her legless torso toward you. You can't see her face through her stringy black hair, but she sees you looking, and stops. You're frozen; you'd have to run past her to get to the escalator, and the emergency stairs are so far behind you. Before you can do anything she's dragging herself forward at a rapid speed, fast, and you nearly trip as you run to get away from her. You can hear her gaining, somehow gaining on you as you run for the stairs—

"She grabs your ankle and you fall. Hard. The girl climbs on you. You don't know where she got the blade, but before you're done with your first scream she is slicing into you torso to cut you in half. Just like her."

Rowen closed the book. Robyn had pressed herself against Sage's side, a portion of the robe bunched up and pressed against her mouth. He didn't seem to mind; in fact, he still looked caught up in his own thoughts, staring off into the distance with a faintly troubled expression. Rowen noticed that Rae had her feet up on the seat, and when he made to grab her ankle, she dropped them to the ground and leaned away from him as he grinned cheekily.

"Who's next?"

"I got this." Kento rose and took the book from Rowen. "That was messed up, by the way." He chose one at random, too, and adopted the tone of voice one would expect from a preteen dramatically reading a ghost story before a campfire. "Japan is filled with beautiful scenery, mountain ranges, trails, and forests. It is understandable that you would want to explore it, even strike out on trails you've never seen before." He raised an eyebrow and glanced at everyone. "One day you do this; it's a warm, gorgeous day, and though the trail isn't well-worn, it's manageable enough. You're miles from civilization, but then you see it: An eroded wooden sign, sticking up out of the foliage. You get closer to read the faded words, and they say: "The constitutional laws of Japan do not apply here." You think nothing of it, and move on.

"Until you get to the village. You see rundown houses and buildings, all overgrown, and yet there are people … and they are unlike anyone you've ever seen. The things you see them do—the blood, the screaming of their victims—make you scramble for your phone, but there is no signal—your phone is dead. You turn to flee from these monstrous people, but the path dead ends and the trail is gone. When you turn back around … they are waiting for you."

"Nice," Ryo grinned.

"I haven't heard that one in a long time," Rowen confessed.

"Is it based on a real village?" Regan asked.

"Some people say yes, others say no one's actually seen it," Kento answered. "Inunaki Village is supposed to be this isolated town filled with certifiably batshit crazy people. We have a lot of scary stories about abandoned villages in Japan."

"India's fond of those, too. There's a large village in Rajasthan called Kuldhara, where the entire population—1500 people—disappeared overnight. No one really knows why."

"For real?" Kento asked.

Regan nodded. "In 1825. It's supposedly cursed and haunted. They call it 'the village of death.'"

"Tell them an Indian urban legend," Robyn encouraged. "That one that scared you and Jude when you were kids."

Regan laughed. "Oh, yes. All right, I'll try to do the stories so far justice." The brunette leaned forward and looked up at the night sky for a moment. "It's late at night; much later than now. Warm and muggy, like it often is in southern India. You go to bed with the windows open, but you can't sleep. So surely you would have heard footsteps on the creaky wood porch, but you don't—yet someone knocks on the front door. Two raps. It's after midnight, and a knock on the door that late is never welcome news. You rise and call, "Yes?" There is a hesitation, and then the voice comes.

"The voice of your mother. "Sweetheart, I know it's late, but it's urgent. Can I come in?"

"Your amma—your mother—lives hours away. What is she doing at your door in the middle of the night, without calling first? You open the door in confusion. And the old witch in the ragged cloak begins to laugh her croaking laugh at you, laughter that rings in your ears and through your windows long after you slam the door shut and flee to your room in terror.

"You thought you dreamed her up after you finally fell asleep. But the next afternoon, as you step into the street and see the car racing right for you, you hear her laughter as it takes your life."

Rowen looked disturbed. "The voice of your mom?"

Kento pointed at her. "That's messed up, and I don't want to hear anymore Indian urban legends."

The group laughed. "That's the Nale Be witch of Bangalore," Regan explained. "Opening the door to her meant your death within 24 hours. If you wrote "Nale Be" over the top of your door—come tomorrow—she would pass you by."

"See, Kento, your mom's not even going to know what it means, you can probably scribble that over your door and she won't even know."

"Shut up, Rowen. Ryo, you want to go next?"

* * *

"That was great!" Mia sighed happily as Cye closed the door to their suite. "I love that everyone participated. Oh, I wish we could do this more often." She set the book on top of her suitcase and wandered the suite for a moment, still wrapped snugly in her robe, the material soft and exquisite against her skin. The creepy stories, the company of her boys, and the kindling friendship of the girls made Mia feel lighter than air and not at all tired. She could still feel the heat of the fire warming her skin.

"We will. It's good for us all to get away and rejuvenate, even if it's for a few days."

Mia turned to watch Cye remove his robe, still in his swim trunks underneath. The low lighting enriched the color of his bronze hair and fell over his strong back, that trim waist. Her eyes followed the line of his body, admired his chest and taut stomach. Cye had a swimmer's body; lean, yet so much stronger than he looked. Kind and compassionate and concealing a will of iron and a protective streak a mile wide.

And he was hers.

"I must admit, I like having you alone just as much," she said softly.

Torrent watched her approach him, still wrapped in her robe. He breathed in slowly when her fingertips trailed up his stomach, and then her hand flattened to travel up his chest. "All to myself," she whispered. Mia wrapped her hand around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.

Cye's pent-up longing broke free and he plundered, hands in her hair as he tasted her again and again. Mia whimpered and set his blood on fire. He pushed the robe from her shoulders and it dropped to the floor as he kissed and nipped his way down the smooth column of her neck.

"This bathing suit drove me crazy all night," he said hoarsely, his hands running over the material, dragging down her bare stomach and to her bikini bottom. He lifted her off the ground effortlessly. With a breathless laugh, Mia wrapped her long legs around his waist as he carried her to the bed.

"Feel free to take it off me," she said huskily.

"That won't be the only thing I do to you," Cye promised.

The crescent moon filtering through the fog creeping across the grounds of the inn looked on as the lovers lost themselves in each other.


	5. Chapter 5 Part 1

Urban Legend

Chapter 5, Part One

Mia climbed onto a large, flat rock jutting out from the side of the mountain to give her calves a break from the steep climb. She panted slightly, though she felt energized. The weather today was gorgeous. It was cooler than yesterday and the humidity was a little more tolerable. Perfect for a mountain hike.

The group had left shortly after breakfast, filing out the back gate by the hot springs and out into the wilderness. The trail they found seemed to have seen only minimal traffic, but it was defined enough that they felt confident in pushing deep into the forest without losing their way back. For the past few hours, the path had wound around the trees, gradually taking them further up the mountainside. There was something about it that made them want to continue around every bend. A strong curiosity to find out how far it went and where it led.

Robyn sat herself on the rock next to Mia's feet and groaned. "Ugh, I had too much breakfast. I'm carrying all this extra weight."

"Me, too," Regan admitted, though she didn't join her friend for a sit-down. "But the food was so good."

"That ham, oh my gosh. When I wasn't eating it, I wanted it."

They had all eaten quite a bit at breakfast. Which was probably a good thing as they were going out so far, it would be a long time before they would return to the hotel for another meal.

The boys were all further up ahead than the girls. Ryo was constantly in the lead, excited to be out in the wilderness. He had to be called back several times already for running ahead so far that no one could find him.

Regan eyed the guys from below with a frown. Not a single one of them even looked winded. "Man, I thought I was in pretty good shape, but these guys are making me feel old."

Robyn and Mia exchanged secret glances, knowing the boys' stamina wasn't completely natural. With a huff, Robyn pulled herself to her feet again and the girls attempted once more to keep up.

Eventually, the trail took a sudden steep incline. The group paused to decide if it was worth forging ahead. A strange daytime fog was beginning to roll in, as the sun's heat was momentarily blocked out by some fat, summer clouds.

"It looks like there's a flat ledge up there," Rowen said as he eyed the side of the mountain. "Might be worth the climb. At any rate, it would be a better place to take a break than here." He looked around their feet, where they were surrounded by dense, prickly bushes and jagged rocks. "What do you think?"

He looked at Regan with that last question and she set her jaw. Regan had convinced herself that it had to be Japan's altitude that fatigued her. Her lungs just weren't used to the thin air. It couldn't be that these guys were really that much more in shape than she was.

"Fine," she said, marching forward and taking on the steep climb with gusto. "See you at the top."

Rowen grinned as he watched her go first. Though he had been in front of her most of the way, the view was much better from behind.

The path was slippery and full of loose rocks. Even the guys were now taking it slow so as not to lose their footing. Cye had also placed himself behind Mia to make sure she didn't slip. Kento cheekily offered to carry Robyn the rest of the way and she muttered something rude to him in Japanese.

Eventually, all managed to make it to the top. This time, Regan sat down on the ground, breathing heavily. She had really given it her all to make it to the top in a timely manner. Robyn stood beside her, panting just as hard and fluffing the material of her t-shirt to circulate air around her overheated skin.

"Ugh, so sweaty," the redhead complained.

"But you made it, though," Kento encouraged, grinning at the girls. At least now he and the other guys were sweating a bit, too, even if they didn't look that tired.

A surprisingly cool breeze came in from the ledge, making the entire group sigh in relief. With it, more fog. It slowly leaked toward them; not so thick as to obscure anything, but with a definite presence.

"We're surrounded by mountains on all sides," Rowen observed. "This little valley is holding thie cool air in, making a sort of weather phenomenon. Neat."

"Let's see what's in the fog!" Ryo announced, still as boyishly excited as when they started.

The girls all groaned. Even Cye and Sage sat themselves down on some convenient rocks, the former shaking his head.

Regan chuckled at Ryo's boundless enthusiasm. "Brother, you are way up here—" she raised her hand and gestured at an imaginary level above her head, and then lowered her hand a foot and continued with,"—and I need you to take it down here for like five minutes, can you do that for me?"

He laughed. "I take it we need a break?"

Kento had carried a large backpack full of water and snacks, and everyone broke into granola bars and trail mix. It was lunch time, but this was enough to satisfy them as they had indeed filled up at breakfast.

After a good rest, it was agreed they would take an hour or two to explore before beginning the long trek back to the hotel.

The trees were just as thick here, making it impossible to tell what was more than a few yards ahead of them. What appeared as a moderately small ledge to begin with opened up into a massive valley, spanning several miles in all directions. It was as if the taller mountains around it bowed out to give it room and let it nest among them. The further they went in, the thicker the fog became. It remained low, going no higher than their knees, but it was enough to block their view of the ground only a few yards out.

Up ahead, they began to hear the babbling of running water.

"Ah, there it is," Rowen said. "With this much fog, I figured there had to be a water source somewhere."

"I didn't see any sign of a river on the way up here," Mia said. "Perhaps it leads to an underground river deep in the mountain."

"Neat," Cye said with a grin, echoing Rowen's inflection from earlier.

Mia playfully bumped her shoulder with his.

Not much farther they found the shallow river, the air even cooler near the water. It was downright refreshing to be in the valley, especially when they were nearing the height of the day's heat. Several of them dipped their water bottles into the ice cold river. The water was crystal clear and delicious.

Regan sat down, pulled off her shoes and socks, and dropped her feet in the water with a sigh. "Okay, now I'm super glad we decided to go this far," she said, relishing the cold water running over her toes.

Robyn sat down and did the same, grinning at her friend. "Bit colder than the pool, isn't it?"

"Just a tad."

The rest and the cool air had rejuvenated them all and they were ready to keep going. There was almost a pull to this place and everyone was caught in the spell now. There was a sense that there was something more to find out there in the trees and the fog and everyone was excited to explore.

They followed the path of the river until the thicket of trees vanished and they emerged into a large clearing. The clearing itself had its own intriguing secret that had been hidden away for hundreds, maybe thousands of years.

The group just stood among the trees and stared. The remains of a grayed, dilapidated village sat in the fog, silent and forgotten.

"That is... so cool!" Ryo breathed out, his eyes wide and excited.

"I knew I packed a camera for a reason," Mia said, digging around in the backpack Kento carried.

It was a scene right out of a movie—a horror movie, Sage thought. Perhaps that's why the hair at the nape of his neck stood up. There was a feeling of residual energy here. It gathered like the fog, tucked away in this valley. With mountains on all sides, it had no room to disperse, so it built like a summer storm. Neither of those things meant there was any danger in this abandoned place, he told himself. Sometimes, old places were just creepy and that was all there was to it.

And it was creepy. The old buildings were rotted and run-down, covered in moss, dust, and spider webs. The fog did not help at all, pouring from open derelict doorways. It wound all through the village and thickened around their ankles. It really did feel like they were on the set of a ghoulish period piece. The setting was too perfect.

Rowen looked down when he felt someone touch his arm and found Regan at his elbow. She stood close as she eyed the buildings.

He gave her a self-satisfied grin. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

She blinked at him, perhaps surprised he had picked up on the fact that this village gave her the shivers. Then she smirked. "Actually, I was thinking I should stay close to protect you."

Rowen laughed right out at that idea and Regan frowned. "You think that's funny, do you? Okay. You're on your own. When the children of the damned find you, don't come crying to me." She let him go and wandered off to attach herself to Robyn instead. The redhead had been staring blankly at the scenery for a while.

Rowen just smiled as his girlfriend left him. That was how their banter normally went. He was hardly offended.

Mia was already forging into the thick of the village, camera clicking all the way. Every new building just added to her excitement. She was about to climb the steps into one of the huts until Cye wrapped an arm around her waist from behind.

"Careful, love. I'd rather you stay out here," he said calmly.

Mia finally lowered her camera to get a good look at the stairs to find they were completely broken. If she had tried to climb them, she would have received a lot of cuts and splinters on her legs for her efforts. She kissed her fiancé on the cheek. "Always my hero."

Ryo was already gone, disappeared into the fog. For a while, his excited voice could still be heard in the distance. He really was not aware that no one else was around to hear him. Sage sighed in the direction Wildfire had gone. He had a feeling it was going to be a bit of a chore to round everyone up when it was time to go back.

Rowen was wandering off as well. He didn't have Cye to keep an eye on him, so he was already trying to climb into one of the darkened huts, using his cell phone to illuminate what was inside. Sage decided to follow out of pure curiosity himself. Alas, there wasn't much to see inside. Just four walls and the remains of a table and some broken pottery.

"Does it seem like it's darker in here than it should be?" Rowen asked as he looked thoughtfully at the windows. It was as if an imaginary filter blocked the sunlight from entering. "Kinda reminds me of those stories last night, about the villages."

Sage straightened as his hair stood on end anew. He stepped out of the ancient house. Rowen grinned as he followed, about to tease his best friend for being scared of ghost stories. Instead, he looked around blankly at the empty, old village. The rest of the party was nowhere to be found.

"Where did everyone go?"

* * *

Mia continued to be in a world of her own as she wandered the village, snapping pictures. Kento and Cye followed behind her, watching in amusement at how she still continued to stumble over little things in her excitement.

"Mia, put down the camera and watch where you're going," Kento called with good humor as she tripped again. Luckily, she hadn't fallen on her face yet.

Cye just continued to smile, paying more attention to her than the ancient buildings around them. Mia was so darn cute when she was passionate about something. She was always so respectable and polite; it was a treat to see her not hold back in her glee.

She had scampered out far ahead of them now, her attention turned to an old well that still had a rudimentary pulley system intact. The two could see her wandering the field, backing up as she attempted to get the perfect shot of her well. Then she suddenly disappeared into the fog with a startled cry.

"Mia!" both warriors called as they raced toward the spot she disappeared.

They reached the last place they saw her and Kento grabbed Cye's arm, jerking him back just in time. Before them, the ground opened up into a massive sink hole. As if a giant cookie cutter had taken an oblong bite out of the field.

Below them, Mia found herself at the bottom of the pit, sitting on damp ground and covered in dirt and leaves. She stood and checked her camera first, finding it unharmed. Next she inspected herself. She had a few new scrapes from her slide and she was covered in dirt.

"Mia, are you okay?" Cye called.

"Fine," she said with irritation, rubbing a few scrapes on her arm. Looking up, she could barely make out the lip of the pit, a good ten feet or more above her. The entire hole was full of fog.

Kento slid down into the pit far more gracefully than she had. Mia noticed with a frown that her ass was smudged with dark brown dirt and she attempted to brush it off.

"Well, I feel stupid," she told him.

Kento just grinned. "Nah, it's fine. I'll get you out." He crouched, interlacing his fingers to provide her foot a step up. "Hop on."

Mia immediately knew what he was up to, but touched his shoulder for balance as she stepped on his hands. "Just not too hard, Kento."

"No problem," he grinned.

"I mean it, not too haaaaaard!"

Before she could get the last word out, she felt his effortless strength, something more than human, catapult her high in the air. Far higher than ground level. Even higher than the village huts. Mia screamed all the way up and all the way down before safely landing in Cye's arms.

"Gotcha," Torrent said.

Mia sat there, stiff and wide-eyed with her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, before she could gather her senses.

"That was not funny," she told her fiancé's wide grin.

Kento leapt out of the hole in one jump, landing neatly next to them. "It was a little funny."

Mia frowned at them as Cye turned and carried her back toward the main street of the village. Mia protested the entire way.

* * *

Though Regan had put on a show of bravado earlier, the village did creep her out. She, too, kept thinking back to the ghost stories of the night before. She knew it was silly to let her imagination get the best of her, but it was hard to avoid it in a place such as this.

Robyn was visibly less unnerved by their surroundings. She seemed calm, almost trance-like as she wandered the area, Regan at her arm. Neither had really noticed they had moved away from the others until Regan looked around, unable to find anyone.

"We lost everyone else."

Robyn paused, jolted from her thoughts at the statement and looked around as well. "I'm sure they're here somewhere. We'll find each other when we're all ready to go back."

She continued forward, head swinging from side to side like a shark trying to take in the ocean of fog with all her senses. Regan wondered if Robyn sensed something more than just the creepy atmosphere and then instantly prayed that wasn't the case. Regan wasn't sure if she could handle anything spookier than this. She liked her horror stories when they stayed in the safety of books and movies.

They wandered about the village, looking at each abandoned home, wading in the fog and listening for signs of the rest of their party. It was deathly silent. As if they were in a world all by themselves. They found a small shelter build behind one house, most likely used for small livestock, and Robyn led them inside to inspect it more closely.

"You're unusually quiet," Regan noted.

Robyn perked up. "Am I? I guess it just feels like a place where you should be quiet. It's kind of a peaceful silence out here."

"Peaceful? Try eerie."

Robyn nudged her playfully. "Such a scaredy cat."

"Me? I saw you cuddling up to Sage last night."

"And I'm sure you were thrilled," Robyn retorted flatly. "You know I don't like scary stories. Not knowing the ending makes me nervous. But fog and old buildings in real life, that's not scary."

"With all the weird shit that happens to you, I'm surprised anything scares you," Regan said in a dry tone.

To that, Robyn just shrugged. Regan was still at her arm and when the redhead turned, she brushed heavily against the wall of the shelter. The aged wood shifted and a large chunk of the moldy, straw roof collapsed. The girls watched helplessly as it showered over them: dirt, straw and, to their horror, a whole nest of long insect bodies with many, many legs.

* * *

Rowen and Sage both snapped around as they heard the chilling, blood-curdling screams. Rowen's heart instantly pounded like it was trying to burst through his chest. _Regan._

He took off into the mist, Sage hot on his heels. Suddenly, the silent village didn't seem so innocuous. Suddenly, Rowen hated this place as he raced blindly toward the sound of the screams. His imagination went wild, trying to prepare him for the worst. For monsters, blood—death. Everything he fervently prayed wasn't happening in the fog.

He and Sage slid around another corner and there were Regan and Robyn, screaming and dancing among the wild grass. Alone, unharmed. At the opposite side, Ryo appeared from the mist, tense and wild-eyed. Obviously, he had heard the screams, too. The look on his face told them he had been this close to calling forth his subarmor until he saw the girls.

The girls were still screaming, though. Dirty, but jumping around for seemingly no reason. Regan was wildly trying to get dirt and straw out of her hair.

"It's in my shirt! It's IN MY SHIRT! Ohmygod! Ohmygod!" Robyn screamed hysterically before ripping off her top and throwing it to the ground.

Only then, standing there in a sports bra, did she stop jumping around. Her eyes were wide, haunted and scarred from her ordeal, as a big, fat cockroach crawled out of the discarded material toward them. Both girls screamed again.

Rowen stepped forward and crushed the offender beneath his boot. "It's okay, ladies. Your hero is here. Everyone okay?"

"No, not until I shower and check every inch of my body," Robyn said shakily. Then she suddenly realized she was surrounded by three different men and she was topless. Sage was already looking away politely as Robyn hopped behind Regan for cover. "Do you mind," she frowned at Rowen's smug grin.

"Not at all. Maybe we should have showed up a little later if there was more stripping to be done."

"You be careful with who you want to watch strip," Regan shot playfully.

Rowen just winked at her.

Ryo strode up, recovering the discarded shirt. He shook it out, inspected it for any more offenders, then handed it to Robyn over Regan's shoulder. The redhead did a second inspection herself, both inside and out, before putting it back on.

"Ugh, my skin is still crawling." she looked to Regan. "Anything else on me? Check my hair."

Regan checked her friend over, and then let Robyn inspect her as well. The redhead balked when she noticed something wriggling beneath the darker girl's ponytail.

"Babe, don't freak out, but…" Robyn took a step toward her, frantically gesturing at Regan's back.

The brunette's hand shot up to the back of her neck, and she let out a small scream as something large, warm, and alive squirmed under her hand. "ARGH!" She ripped it from her neck, felt it fall, and turned around like a dog chasing its tail, pulling up her shirt and waving it as the large centipede dropped to the ground. Both girls were dancing and screaming again as the fat bug skittered away.

"I feel like it's still there!" Regan complained. "Check again, make sure!"

She presented her back, shirt hiked up to her rib cage. Robyn did a thorough inspection, checking under the shirt and through her hair until she was satisfied.

Rowen's earlier terror still hadn't quite faded so he didn't crack a joke about the girls feeling each other up, but he did notice something unexpected on Regan's back. Her hiking capris hung lower on her hips than her bikini bottom did, and there were shiny, raised marks on her lower back peeking out from the waistband of the capris. Scars?

And then they were gone; Regan pulled her shirt back down. She ran her fingers through her hair once more, leaning forward and giving it one last good shake.

"Everyone okay?"

They all turned; Kento, Cye, and Mia finally joined them, slowing their jog down to a walk when it became apparent that everyone was fine.

"Robyn and Regan found some friends," Sage said, quietly amused.

Both girls shot him a look, fully realizing that they were surrounded by the others, who were now in high spirits at their expense.

Rowen put his hands on Regan's shoulders and she jumped. "Easy," he laughed, pulling her to him so her back rested against his chest. He did it more for himself than anything; having her alive and unharmed in his arms helped to further calm the previously wild beat of his heart. "Looks like you found something worse than children of the damned."

Regan spun around and pinched his sides, making him squirm and seize her hands. "I will _cut_ you." He made her laugh, though, and the trauma seemed to be over.

"Bugs?" Mia asked worriedly, her nose wrinkling.

" _Hoards_ of bugs." Robyn shivered.

"The roof collapsed," Regan added. "And they just poured in."

"Right down my shirt!" Robyn nearly cried, eyes wide and watering. She still looked thoroughly traumatized.

"This is why I didn't want you in any of those buildings," Cye told Mia.

"Girl, bring it in." Kento gestured to Robyn, and she gratefully sagged against him as he hugged her.

"That was so awful," she said into his shirt. "I'll never be okay again. My skin is crawling."

"Kento's got you," Hardrock crooned, stroking her hair. Then a wicked gleam came into his eyes, and he ever so lightly tickled his fingertips on her back. Robyn shrieked and jerked back, but he held on tighter and laughed.

She punched his rock hard chest. "Kento Rei Fuan!"

Ryo gave him a censuring look, and Hardrock let her go and mussed her hair. "Sorry, Rob, I couldn't resist."

"I hate you."

"No separating again, okay guys?" Ryo said. Sure, the girls were fine, but their horrified screams still rang in his ears.

"You're one to talk," Sage accused.

Wildfire shrugged. "I'm done. I'll be good now."

They walked back through the village in the general direction of the trail that led them to the valley. Cye, Kento, and Mia partially led the way, backtracking the way they came, but some of the buildings didn't look familiar.

"We did pass these, right?" Cye asked as he scanned what looked like a small, ancient bathhouse.

"We were distracted," Mia offered, thinking of when they heard the girls, too, and started speeding in that direction.

The Ronins unconsciously walked in a rough circle that clustered the girls in the middle. Mia noticed, but Robyn and Regan were still twitchy and occasionally scratched itches from imaginary bugs and didn't register it. They passed a few crumbling buildings missing roofs and some walls that were now mere suggestions of a once stable structure.

Ryo's excitement had dulled, and he didn't think the scare was the only culprit. Exploring wasn't fun anymore, and he was acutely aware of how far they were from the inn. They had a good two and a half hour trek back down the trails. The fog still hadn't risen above anyone's knees, but it seemed to grow thicker.

None of them remembered seeing the shrine before.

It stopped all of them in their tracks as it seemed to grow from the mist, planted in the middle of the village. It had the looks of an ancient Shinto shrine. The steps leading up to the wooden gateway and the shrine beyond it—no bigger than a house—looked surprisingly sturdy when compared with its brethren. It had a gabled, thatched roof that possessed a few small sagging holes, but was largely intact.

"What style is this?" Regan asked quietly. "Does anyone know?"

"Mia?" Ryo suggested. "Or Sage?"

Sage shook his head, regarding the building distrustfully.

" _Taisha-zukuri_ ," Mia answered after a moment. "It's the oldest Shinto shrine style. This village is _very_ old. See the stilts? That's a common feature. And the thatched reed roof." Her gaze roved over the structure; she marveled at how well preserved it was, over anything else they'd seen. "Almost like someone's still caring for it," she murmured to herself. Cye looked at her sharply, but she was still taking it in, her head tilted back. Without thinking, she pulled out her camera and snapped a shot of the building.

They began to walk up the stairs, although no one remembered making the conscious decision to do so. The fog couldn't reach that far up, so their path was clear as they approached the entrance. The door was left hanging open, but it felt more like a dare than an invitation to go inside.

As if the fog in their mind lifted for a moment, a few of them glanced at one another uneasily.

"Do we really want to go in there?" Kento asked.

"There are etchings around the door," Regan noticed although she, too, hesitated at the thought of going up to them. They didn't look like kanji; they looked like artistic whorls and symbols.

"I want to walk around it," Mia announced. She cupped Cye's elbow and added, "I'll be fine, it's really sturdy." She slowly walked the wooden platform around the shrine. Cye followed her, anyway. Old, exquisitely crafted lanterns with the glass still intact hung from the overhanging roof. Mia had to take a picture of them.

The camera clicked and captured a lantern and a portion of the shrine. At the same time, Regan drew up her courage and ran her fingers over the wooden etchings, trying to puzzle out meaning from the primeval drawings. Rowen stepped just inside the shrine and looked inside, with Ryo at his shoulder.

"Guys," Sage warned.

"There's nothing in here," Ryo said. The bare floor was empty of furnishings. The wooden slats were warped in the corners and oddly swollen in one center section by the back wall, where something long and heavy must have sat.

"That is not accurate," Rowen said faintly as he looked up.

Long strings of yarn hung from the rafters, bearing slips of parchment paper. They were curled and yellowed with age, the writing on them faded and smudged. Two dozen or more hung listless from the ceiling. Then, the papers slowly began to spin, though there was no breeze within the shrine. Rowen and Ryo stood transfixed as they watched them. A sound came from the depths of the shrine—hardly a sound, more like a feeling. The feeling of a deep inhale from all around them.

Then came the wind. It felt as though it originated from the shrine, blowing out like a following exhale. It excited the parchments, making them twirl. It breezed through Strata and Wildfire's hair, even enough to rustle their shirts. Even those around the back of the shrine felt the wind swirl around them in one strong gust. Strangely enough, though all those present were blown about, the mist surrounding them hardly moved at all.

Then it was gone and all was still once more. Yet, it felt like something remained from the strange occurrence. Something extra now haunted the shrine, causing the hair on Ryo's neck to raise.

"And we're done," he said with authority, pulling on Rowen's shirt. They nearly ran into Robyn, who stared transfixed at the shrine as if in a trance. Looking at it without really looking at it.

She only glanced away when Sage put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes," he firmly agreed. "I think it's time to leave." He wrapped an arm around Robyn's shoulders, turning her around and leading her away. Rowen walked behind Regan as they stepped down, as if protecting her from the dark maw of the open doorway behind them. Kento went looking for Mia and Cye, and quickly rounded them up. The group was happy to be away from the shrine that now decisively gave them a chill at their backs. Everyone agreed it was time to get out of here and go back to the hotel.

The fog remained thick around their knees. Curling mists of it rose in the cool air; the sun was almost entirely blocked by the mountains around them. The air was no longer refreshing and carried a chill that somehow seeped into their bones. Sage seemed to be the only one with a confident sense of direction and definite purpose, even as his gaze occasionally wandered, his sharp violet eyes scanning over some of the buildings they passed.

In a very brief amount of time, the empty village had gone from a feeling of dormancy to activity. The aura of the place had completely changed. There was now a sense of restlessness, awareness. The group picked up their pace.

The mist moved lazily, disturbed by their fast walking; it curled around the open doorways of the huts and homes. The blank, dark windows now felt like pairs of eyes, watching them pass. The mist swirled strangely out in the distance among the abandoned fields, as if there were things stalking and slithering beneath the protection of the fog. Regan couldn't help but feel like danger lurked on all sides. She reflexively moved to Robyn, linking their fingers together. When she felt in danger, it was instinct to go to her friend's side to protect one another—as they had for each other in the past.

The entire group was silent as they sought the path that would lead them out. Mia clutched her camera in her hand, wedged between Cye and Kento. Hardrock's face was set in a grim expression as he eyed their surroundings. Flashbacks of the war with Talpa flitted through Mia's mind, of traveling in abandoned places with no one around but a group of very young group warriors and a scared little boy. She set her jaw against it, willing those uncomfortable memories back into the past where they belonged.

They hurried past the tiny river and dove into the trees. The feeling of being watched, stalked, seemed to lessen, as if the treeline filtered out the negative feeling that followed them. They reached the lip of the steep incline and there was no hesitation as everyone took on the climb down with eagerness. There were several slips and a few close encounters that threatened to drop them all the way down, but everyone made it safely.

Once away from the ledge and the fog-covered valley, that feeling of danger—of being watched and hunted—instantly dissipated. The sun was suddenly no longer blocked from them by tightly locked mountains. It seemed brighter now somehow, as if its light had been filtered out in that dark, spooky valley.

Now everything was normal again. Safe. As the group continued down the trail they came, Sage paused to look back. He still felt it, a darkness lurking behind him, but that feeling no longer followed. It was as if it were stuck on that ledge, unable to go where the mist could not reach. He turned back to his friends, noticing Robyn kept glancing back as well, her attention to the ledge above them even as Regan dragged her forward.

"So that was really goddamn weird," Kento finally announced after they had put the village far behind them.

"It did take a turn," Rowen agreed. He kept wondering if Regan was ever going to come back to him, but the darker-haired woman was nearly at the front of the line, her grip still firm on Robyn's wrist as she doggedly made her way back down the trail.

"I don't know about everyone else, but I'm ready for showers and food," Mia announced lightly.

"You need one, brown butt," Ryo teased, smacking her dirt-covered shorts right on her backside.

Mia gasped at the treatment and instantly went after him, trying to slap him back. If it was anyone else, Cye might have gotten mad. But these two were playing slap-ass with each other long before Cye and Mia were even dating, so Torrent had to accept it as part of the package with Mia. And he was quite fine with it as long as neither tried to bring him into it.

The further away from their weird encounter they went, the better everyone felt. Things were downright normal by the time the inn appeared in the distance, many of its windows already blazing with warm, inviting light. The sun always set much earlier in the mountains, but they were still surprised at how the hike had eaten up the entire day.

The smells from the inn reached them long before they arrived at the back gate. The mossy, foggy smell of the hot springs and the enticing aroma of the dinner service was a most welcome sensation as they gratefully stepped onto the property and eagerly retreated to their rooms. Showers were very welcome as the hot water seemed to wash away the last of the lingering chills from that creepy place.

Mia and Cye showered together, more for comfort than anything. He washed her hair, and Mia decided to let it air dry and put it in a topknot. They joined the other four Ronins in their room after Cye confirmed by cell they were good to have visitors. For some reason, there was an unspoken urge to stay together. It had a very reminiscent feeling of days past when they were all younger.

"It was still a beautiful hike," Mia said, trying to force herself to say it with more cheer than she felt. "I'm sure we just freaked ourselves out." She glanced over at Sage, who had just gotten out of the shower and was towel-drying his hair.

"We shouldn't worry until there's something to worry about," he responded.

Mia let out a little breath. That made her feel better. Sage was a good barometer for activity of that sort. Although he still didn't look entirely happy over their detour, if he wasn't worried at the moment, then she felt like she could relax.

A short shriek from the next room jolted her right out of it, however. Ryo launched himself off the futon, but stopped halfway across the room when the shouts and screams had a familiar tone to them that wasn't all that urgent.

"You know they found a hitchhiker," Kento chuckled.

"Maybe we should barge in and make sure they're okay anyway," Rowen volunteered as he reached for the door.

Ryo grabbed his shirt. "You'll wait right here."

* * *

Regan stood in front of the bathroom mirror, brushing out her damp hair. The dead millipede now floating in the toilet confirmed that all hitchhikers would be dealt with extreme prejudice. Robyn was still in the shower, rinsing out her hair.

The brunette's medication sat on the bathroom sink. She should have taken it with food, but she hadn't wanted to wait; a headache was brewing. The tail end of the village visit really wound her up, and she didn't want to take any chances. No mishaps or accidents around the group. Not when they were so accepting and kind to her. The longer she could play normal, the better.

She knew it wasn't easy for Robyn, either.

"Hey, Robyn?" Regan called as she stared at herself for a while, worrying her bottom lip.

"Yeah?" came the reply over the sound of the water.

"Thanks for not trying to go back there. I know you wanted to."

There was a pause from the shower. "I didn't want to. But I think I kept spacing out. I'm glad you dragged me out of there and kept a hand on me. I might have wandered back and the guys probably wouldn't have noticed."

"Of course they would have noticed, Robyn."

The water stopped and the redhead reached out for a towel. "They don't notice everything. Especially when all five of them are together. I think they distract each other. Too many bodies to keep track of."

" _I_ keep track of you," Regan insisted.

Robyn moved the curtain aside, now dressed in a towel. She took a moment to squeeze out as much water as she could from her hair. "I know. I appreciate that."

"And you're not going back there, right? I know cleansing weird shit is your thing and sometimes you can't help it, but no one lives up there. You don't need to fix anything for anyone. There's no need for you-"

"Regan," Robyn interrupted her gently, stepping next to her so they were both looking at themselves in the mirror, "I'm not going back there. Don't worry. I don't want to go back there."

Regan gave her a brilliant smile in the mirror. "Good to hear. Now get dressed, I'm starving."

"Isn't that my line?" Robyn called after her as her friend left the bathroom.

Regan laughed in response, but Robyn's smile died in the mirror as soon as she left. She wouldn't say it out loud, but Robyn had a feeling that the village would be extremely unsafe if any of them went back a second time.

* * *

"Done with our shower," Regan announced as Rowen answered the door. Everyone was dressed in the hotel-issued yukata.

"You two showered together?" Rowen asked with a raise of his brow. " _Without_ me?"

"You were never invited," Regan said airily while Robyn shook her head to confirm there was no such group shower. "Food, yes?"

" _Yes_ ," Robyn echoed, emphatically motioning them all to come out.

They ate their fill at the buffet in the dining room, drunk on the taste and the heady smell of cooked meat and vegetables. The rich odor seemed like a drug all itself and they were happy to be under its spell. There were more people in the dining area this night. It was full of bodies and lively conversation. It felt good to be safely indoors, surrounded by people and good food.

Afterward, everyone agreed that a dip in the hot springs would be the perfect ending to the day, and the heat would help them all sleep better and soothe sore muscles from the long hike.

Unconsciously, the group clustered closer together in one corner of the hot springs as they talked about their plans for the next day. The subject of the village seemed to be purposefully avoided.

"I vote we sleep in until noon tomorrow," Rowen suggested.

"You do that anyway," Cye pointed out.

"And I'm inviting everyone to experience how amazing it is."

"One day of completely vegging out wouldn't be too bad," Kento put in. "We could drive down to the village at the base of the mountain, buy snacks and maybe rent some movies."

"Ooh, and try some of the local food," Mia added.

Kento grinned and heartily agreed with that one.

Soon, everyone had ideas and opinions on the topic and they all settled into a pleasant conversation.

Robyn didn't add much to all the chatter. She hadn't said much during dinner, either. It went unnoticed as everyone else was plenty talkative that evening. Eventually, she turned slightly away from the party, resting her chin on a palm as she watched the dark mountains. It was a beautiful sight, worthy of thoughtful gazing, but it also happened to be in the direction of where they had gone earlier that day.

"We're all still thinking about it," Sage said softly next to her.

Robyn raised a brow to him, but said nothing.

"The history of that place had a weight," he continued, recalling Robyn's words from her first day back in Japan. "We found something old. Such places are bound to have a strong residue left behind from whatever happened there. I don't know if that translates to a threat for any of us now. The energy wasn't positive, but it's more than likely as trapped in that valley as the cooler air Rowen mentioned."

Robyn watched him with an almost suspicious look. Was Sage trying to get her to share? Robyn liked to talk, but she wasn't used to sharing things like this. Even to Regan, who couldn't really understand what it was like, she kept it at a minimum. The way she experienced this part of her life, it wasn't with words but with feelings. She never attempted to say it out loud, thus she had nothing to say.

Sage continued to watch her expectantly.

"Okay," was all she said.

Halo looked disappointed.

"You have no opinion of this at all?" he accused.

She gave him a grin of disbelief. "Why do you want my opinion?"

"I'm curious."

"Are you trying to...figure me out?"

"Yes."

Robyn was taken aback for a moment. She had forgotten that Sage was just as blunt and unapologetic as Rowen. It was easy to forget as Sage didn't converse with her one on one too often. The fact that he was actively seeking her out was something new. Robyn wondered why.

"And?" Sage pressed, ripping her from her mental wanderings.

Robyn wasn't sure how comfortable she was with this conversation. Maybe on some level, Sage would understand the best how she perceived the world. But at the same time, maybe not. He was light, she was dark. It was different and she had seen him recoil from her world before. But it was also hard to say no to that face kissed by angels, so she humored him.

"Maybe it felt like... something was asleep and we woke it up."

Sage visibly stiffened at the thought and jerked his head toward the mountains.

Robyn's cheek still rested on her palm. "And maybe when we left, it fell back asleep. Who knows? It's just a thought."

Sage slowly turned his head and watched her for a moment. "You've always been sensitive to the metaphysical world," he said slowly, in a lowered tone to keep it between them, "but it's grown, from what I remember. I don't wish to pry-"

"You are prying."

"- _but_ I would like you to know that if you have any questions, or need any help, you can just ask me."

Now it was Robyn's turn to quietly regard him. She didn't need his help. She had found far better teachers. So instead, she grinned. "Okay, Sage."

He frowned. "Why is it whenever you tell me 'okay' I feel like you're just trying to placate me?"

"Whatever you say, Sage."

"Stop it."

Robyn laughed as he frowned at her. No wonder Rowen purposefully pissed him off all the time. This was fun.

It was so hard, but Regan contained her delight in watching Robyn and Sage together and tried not to stare at them too obviously and make Robyn feel skittish. All daydreams aside, she was happy to see them have time to reconnect. And, was Robyn actually flirting with him? Even though Sage didn't look as happy, Robyn was laughing and it felt like banter to Regan. Maybe she wouldn't have to nudge these two along, after all.

Conversation continued to be light and in good humor as night fell over them and, with the darkness, came a chill from the mountains. The sudden temperature drop was hardly noticed with the group surrounded by hot water and good friends. Even when the mist from the springs rose up into a dense, thick fog, the friends were more involved in jokes and anecdotes to look around and see what was going on.

Even when the springs, once full of inn patrons, suddenly evolved to an empty pool with only one group at the end. Even when something swirled underneath the water's surface, gliding like a serpent, it all nearly went completely unnoticed.

Robyn completely froze in the middle of a story Rowen was telling.

"Get out of the water," she said. It wasn't loud, but it was in such an odd tone that it put a stop to all conversation.

"What?" Rowen asked, a little annoyed she interrupted him.

Her eyes seemed far off, almost trance-like for a moment. Then she looked at them all with fear.

"Get out of the water."

"Why? What's wrong with it?" Cye asked, not moving.

No one moved.

Robyn surged forward, reaching across two other bodies to grab Regan's arm and look her in the eyes. "Get out of the water."

She was the only one to do what she was told. They knew each other too well not to respond. Both climbed out of the pool, backing away from it, Regan slightly behind her.

Everyone watched them, completely confused. Even Mia hadn't moved. As long as her boys weren't worried, neither was she.

"What's the matter? You guys find another bug?" Kento teased.

Robyn nearly screamed at them this time. "Get out of the water! _It's coming_ _!_ "

That last statement startled everyone. Sage and Ryo both stood, but no one else moved.

Then, Cye was gone. In a blink, he was pulled under the mist and the water, completely disappeared from their view.


	6. Chapter 5 Part 2

Author's Notes: Thank you everyone for supporting the story thus far. We are so pleased and tickled everyone seems to be enjoying Urban Legend. We are having a blast writing it. A special thanks to those who have taken the time to write comments. Those who have posted without an account, we are not able to thank you personally, alas. But we appreciate it all the same. From everyone. And we hope you continue to enjoy. We tried not to make you wait too long for part 2 of chapter 5.

 **Urban Legend**

 **Chapter 5 Part 2**

Mia screamed and scrambled out, her eyes wide and searching wildly for Cye. The other girls screamed. All the guys but Kento jumped out of the pool. Hardrock looked like he wanted to as well, but he was as angry as he was terrified for anyone taking his best friend.

"God damnit! What just happened?!"

The springs, at its deepest, went a bit higher than his waist. It was a pool for soaking, not swimming. But it seemed to have magically gotten so much larger in order to accommodate the massive creature that burst from the water.

At first, all any of them could fathom was the giant snake body that snapped and writhed. At its thickest, almost larger around than Kento was tall. At the front end, standing nearly ten feet in the air, was not just a snake head, but a torso and arms, all pale green and scaled. The head, perched on a thick, short neck, was broad and half human, half snake. The jaw was full of dagger-like teeth. And there, caught in the monster's clutches, was Cye. His swim trunks had been replaced with subarmor as he did his best to not get swallowed by the jaws that opened almost as wide as he was tall.

"Cye! Hang on!"

In a flash, Kento's subarmor appeared on his body and climbed the snake like one would climb a tree trunk. Half way up, Kento decided it wasn't making it as fast as he hoped to and settled for a different tactic. He wrapped his arms around the snake as best he could and squeezed until he heard bones cracking from inside.

The monster squawked in pain, the whole body thrashing. Cye managed to kick free and he fell into the water while Kento refused to let go. Hardrock dug in deeper, squeezing with all his might. The monster only thrashed harder, more of the snake body rearing out of the water, the heavy, muscular sides hitting the wall of the pool area and knocking holes through the stone.

The rest of the ronins sprang into action, all summoning their subarmors at once. Ryo ran for Mia, scooping her up and whisking her a safe distance from the fight. Rowen did the same for Robyn and Regan, grabbing each by the wrist and urging them to follow him into the building.

"Stay inside," Ryo told them all.

Regan was staring at Rowen. At the unfamiliar armor that now adorned his body. At the fact that he was now going back out to fight that... thing. She was trying to form some sort of sentence, but the words wouldn't come out.

He held her eyes with his. "Stay safe. I'll be back."

And then, he was gone. Back out into the mist and the chaos of the hot springs, Ryo close behind him.

Meanwhile, Sage raced along the edge of the pool, looking for Cye. He was about to jump in himself when Torrent's head breached the surface.

"Cye, over here!" Sage reached a hand to his friend, yanking him out of the water.

"There's no bottom to the pool anymore!" Cye cried. "What's going on?"

They had to dodge out of the way as heavy snake coils slammed in their direction. There seemed to be no end to this monster. Sage estimated it was at least 30 to 40 feet long. Maybe more. Only a bottomless spring could hold such a beast. Where had this monster come from?

Kento was still trying to hang on, but now the creature had crawled its top half out of the water and was attempting to scrape him off. He gritted his teeth as his armor slid along the hard ground, making a terrible sound. Then he was lifted up and slammed onto the concrete. Once. Twice. The third time, his unprotected head slammed onto the cement. A killing blow for a normal person. With Hardrock's power fortifying him, it just hurt like hell and sent his world spinning. He let go and the snake slithered away.

"Kento!" both Rowen and Ryo cried as they ran up to him.

Hardrock was curled on his side, gripping his skull. While not the first time he had been slammed into something solid, he was usually careful about protecting his head when he wasn't wearing his helmet. The crater left on the ground from his skull was scary to look at.

"You okay?" Rowen pressed, looking for blood and trying to pry Kento's eye open to see if his pupils were dilated.

Kento swatted him away. "Just regretting every decision I've made today," he said through clenched teeth. "Give me a moment, I'll be fine as soon as the ringing stops." He tried to stand, but fell back on his knees, his world spinning.

Rowen and Ryo looked at each other. If that massive thing could thrash Kento this bad, they all needed more protection in case they were hit with the force of that monster.

"Kento stay put. We'll take care of the rest," Ryo ordered.

Wildfire and Strata looked at each other and nodded.

"Armor of Wildfire!"

"Armor of Strata!"

"Dao Jin!"

"Dao Inochi!"

Beyond the fanfare of magical armor, Sage and Cye ran as the beast turned on them the moment it was free from Hardrock's hold. They raced the length of the pool area until they reached the wall of concrete and mountainside. As the snake monster struck, the two warriors dodged in opposite directions. It nearly hit the wall itself trying to catch them, then quickly turned and went after Torrent.

Is it after Cye on purpose? Sage thought to himself. Why would it seek out only him? That made no sense.

As Cye jumped away from the next attack, a golden arrow embedded itself on the monster's side. Then another struck true. The third missed as the creature hissed and thrashed away at a speed nearly impossible for the creature's size. Its heavy tail swung back toward Ryo and Rowen, knocking them and much of the pool furniture out of the way. Strata and Wildfire quickly found themselves tangled at the bottom of a pile of lounge chairs.

The beast took a moment to use its human-like limbs to wrench the arrows from its body. Then it looked around for prey. The first thing that caught its non-blinking eyes was the warrior in orange subarmor, still holding his head and trying to stand. The snake creature hissed and raced toward him.

Kento was completely unaware he had gathered the monster's attention when someone grabbed him, a thin arm hugging him, pulling him at the waist.

"Kento, you've got to move!" Robyn urged as she tried to pull his greater weight forward. "Move! It's coming!"

Hardrock looked up, he could see the monster coming, though his vision was still blurry. But he still couldn't make his limbs move right. He was too damn slow. What was Robyn doing out here? She was going to get herself killed and there was nothing he could do about it. They both were going to die.

Kento tried to shield her as the monster flew at them, jaw opened wide and teeth exposed. A female voice screamed Robyn's name, but it was too late.

Or... was it?

When no attack came, Kento opened his eyes. Regan stood in front of them, palms out and still clad in only a bikini. The monster was mere inches in front of her, but for a brief moment, it seemed suspended in time. Then, a power pushed back. The monster collided with the side of the building. It howled with rage and tried to get up, but an invisible force slammed it into the wall again. Kento couldn't believe what he was looking at.

"Run! Get out of here!" Regan screamed back at them.

"But, Rae-" Robyn said.

"GO! Get inside!"

Robyn pulled Kento along, who was still too dumbfounded to react. There was no light show, no evidence of power. Nothing. But it was very clear; it was because of Regan's doing that the monster was being forced into the side of the building every time it tried to get up.

She hit it again and again and again. Sweat quickly covered her body, as if the massive weight of the creature physically taxed her. But she stubbornly hit it once more as the building wall itself began to give out and crumble.

I can't stop it, it's too big, Regan thought to herself. I don't know what else to do.

"Regan, Regan stop," Rowen said, gently hugging her arms to her sides from behind.

She struggled against his hold. "No Rowen! I can't let it—"

A body clad in red armor flew into the scene, landing on the stunned monster and stabbing the snake with twin katana. He screamed something, Regan thought she heard the word "flare", but all sound was swallowed as a piping hot power surged all around.

Rowen turned his back as the entire monster was engulfed in flames, his armor protecting Regan from the heat. She managed to peer around his shoulder as the snake was turned to cinders in mere moments from the concentrated inferno.

 _Who_ —

The red armored figure stood in waist deep water where the monster had been. Smoke or steam rose from around him as he sheathed the katana. She finally got a look at his face and saw that it was Ryo.

Regan braced her hand against solid metal, realized she was wrapped in a dark blue cage of armor that Rowen hadn't been wearing before. It just… _appeared_ on them.

And he was talking in her ear. "It's over. You're all right, everyone's all right."

"Robyn? Kento?" She twisted in his arms and found Kento on the ground with Robyn crouched behind him, her arms still around his massive shoulders. Mia was just behind them, her hands over her mouth. Kento was staring at her with shock.

"He's okay?" Regan asked, her voice shaking. She could see the cracked impression his head had left in the concrete.

"Yes," Rowen said to her, still holding her as if he could will her to stop shaking. He, too, was trying to process what he saw. Kento and Robyn were okay because she had done something he had never seen outside of a movie, or his own team. That had given Ryo the opportunity to land on it and finish it off.

There was a small burst of chaos as Ryo, Sage, and Cye returned to them and Mia flew to Cye's side. His armor wasn't bulky like Rowen's or Ryo's, but fit him like a suit of light blue body armor. He crushed Mia to him, and then she inspected him for injuries. Ryo and Sage went to Kento, and the blond, also clad in close fitting green body armor, inspected the man's head.

Regan pulled away from Rowen to get a better look at what he was wearing. The armor had an archaic look to it, as if it had been plucked from some bygone era in Japanese history. He was tall before, but now he was massive in it, and if she wasn't mistaken, he carried a large bow in the one hand not still wrapped around her waist.

"What are you wearing?" she whispered.

Rowen willed his armor off and she gasped, wonder joining the shock on her face. He cupped her cheek and stared into her wide, dilated eyes. "How did you do that?"

She shrank away from him, taking a step back and hugging herself. "I don't…"

"Regan, was that _you?_ " Cye. "My God, I thought you were all done for, but you…"

She stiffened. It took everything in her to turn and face them. She couldn't read the expression on Sage or Ryo's faces; could barely stand to meet their gazes. All at once, she felt terribly exposed and terrified of what they were going to say or do next. The trembling started again as awful memories and reactions reared their ugly heads.

Robyn was suddenly there, dropping a robe on Regan's shoulders, knowing she needed something to hide in. The brunette quickly slipped in it. "How do you feel?" Robyn asked.

Regan shook her head. "Okay." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I just didn't want it to get either of you."

"And thank you for that, even though I never want you to step in front of something like that ever again." The redhead hugged her and said softly, "They'll understand better than you realize, you don't have to be afraid."

Regan continued the whispered conversation. "They have armor that came out of nowhere. And giant weapons. And Kento is alive."

"I know."

"You _know?_ "

Robyn nodded. "They have secrets, too. And it's _okay_."

No repercussions came. Ryo was in a hurry to get everyone inside, and other than giving Regan a thoughtful look, neither he nor anyone else said anything as they made sure all were unharmed and then corralled everyone into the inn. Rowen stayed close to Regan, but she wouldn't look at him. She had to have ruined everything, no matter what they were wearing, or who they really were. Rarely anything good came out of people finding out what she could do, and this would be no different.

When everyone was safe inside the guys' room, the sense of relief was palpable.

"What was that?" Cye asked. Mia was glued to his side.

"It looked like a Naga," Regan answered faintly. "They're nature spirits in Hinduism. They're not supposed to try to eat you." She had been staring at nothing in particular, and then her attention snapped to them. "I knew there was something—about the five of you. I could feel it. But I could never pin it down."

Ryo nodded slowly. "I don't think any of us had a clue about what you did back there."

Regan twisted her fingers in her robe, the movement mimicking the twisting of her gut.

"But it helped. Thank you."

She blinked at him.

"That was some Jean Gray shit, wasn't it?" Kento asked as Sage handed him an ice pack.

"I'm not…she's stronger. And also fictional."

"Whatever it was, it saved my ass."

"She does that from time to time." Robyn gently nudged Regan's shoulder. "You can tell them."

Misery and mortification hunched Regan's shoulders and made her stare at the floor. No, she really couldn't. Not yet. In a desperate attempt to deflect the attention off of her, she said, "All five of you didn't even hesitate to take that snake on. That was really, really brave. Who _are_ you? Where did the armor come from? The weapons you had…where are they now?"

"I'll answer all of your questions." Rowen moved closer and crouched down on one knee to be eye level with her. "But you have to promise to answer mine. Why don't we talk in the other room?"

He was giving her an out, a way to escape a cross examination, but being alone with him was somehow worse. She liked him so much, and if he broke up with her because she scared him, she had a feeling it would be devastating. But he looked at her so earnestly that she couldn't refuse him.

"Hold on; Regan, come here," Hardrock called.

She didn't want to. She did, anyway, hesitating when it drew her closer to Sage and Ryo.

Kento surprised Regan by bringing her down for a solid hug. Tears stung her eyes as she squeezed him back. "You did good," he told her. She gave him a watery smile, thanked him, and hurried out of the room after Rowen.

* * *

Rowen shut the door to the girls' hotel room firmly behind him as Regan sat on her futon and watched him with a guarded expression. He approached her slowly and seated himself across from her.

"We've got a lot of ground to cover, don't we?" he said lightly.

"Never mind the giant snake," she joked weakly. She still had a hard time meeting his eyes, as if she were afraid of him. His own stomach was in knots, because she'd seen so much. He didn't know how she would react to what he had to tell her, either.

"Rae, you don't have to be afraid of me," he said seriously. "I would never hurt you, and I'm not mad at you for keeping what you did out there a secret."

Her head shot up and she blinked at him. "Oh, Rowen, I'm not afraid _of_ you. Not in that way. I…" she let out a shaky breath and her eyes dropped back to her lap. "Some people don't respond well to seeing what I can do. It hasn't ended well in the past."

"Why don't you tell me how it started," he invited.

She rolled her shoulders and wrapped herself tighter in the robe. "I was 12. It started with headaches, then uncontrollable microbursts that left me with migraines. A vase would shatter, or a mirror, or the electricity would short out. Even then, we didn't know the "activity" was me." She smiled a little. "My brother thought we had a poltergeist. But it only seemed to happen when I had a terrible headache. Then I started having seizures. My mother pulled me out of school. I spent a lot of time in hospitals. I didn't consciously move anything until I shut the door to my hospital room by thinking about it. I was in too much pain to get up, wished I could shut it, and it _shut_. I learned that if I didn't give it direction and a clear purpose, the energy coming out of me would just seep out of the cracks and find its own direction, based on how I was feeling."

It startled her when his hand slid over her knee and squeezed. "How did your brother take it? Your mom?"

Regan laughed softly. "It was pretty anti-climatic for Jude. He'd spent half the year thinking that his twin probably had a brain tumor and we had a poltergeist that wanted to kill us. When neither of those things were true, he was pretty…underwhelmed. 'It was _you_ the entire time? Did you hate Amma's china that much?'" Rowen chuckled. "Our mother liked it better when she thought I was just a sick kid. She didn't know what to do with me after that. I scared her, so we didn't talk about it, and I wasn't…home very much." Understatement. "If I use too much energy, the consequences can be really painful. I have limitations and a threshold for what my brain and my body can take. So the medication I take wards off the side effects and keeps the seizures away. It's a gift and a curse."

She had never said that much about her ability to anyone outside of Robyn, and now that it rushed out of her like water from a burst dam, her cheeks burned and her hands trembled. It didn't even chip away at the tip of the iceberg, how her unexpected "gift" had completely changed the course of her life, but it still felt wonderful and terrifying to come clean about some of it. Even if he ultimately rejected her.

Regan braved his gaze again, and the concern in his gorgeous blue eyes caught her off guard.

"Will your medicine work now? How do you feel?"

"I'll be fine," she stammered. "I'm just a little tired."

"Your pupils are still dilated," he murmured. She nearly flinched when his hand gently grasped her chin while he inspected her. "You don't have a headache?"

"No."

"Tell me your brother looked after you when your mother wouldn't."

Oh, how he had wanted to, if he had been allowed the chance. She swallowed against the lump in her throat. "He did when he could," she whispered. "Can we talk about your armor now?"

It was Rowen's turn to tense. He still had a hundred questions about her telekinesis and what she wasn't telling him, but she looked spent from even saying that much. He nodded.

"How do you have it?"

"Let's start with a legend." Rowen recounted the story of the original nine mystical armors, where they came from, and their purpose. Then who took them.

"The armors were taken from Talpa, but he never stopped seeking them out. They were then passed down through generations, waiting to be used by a wearer to protect this world—this realm—should Talpa ever return to take them again. Well, he did. The five of us are the chosen armor bearers, and when Talpa left the Nether Realm and came here to lay this planet to waste, we were called to stop him."

Regan had drawn her knees up, her arms clasped around them, as she absorbed everything he said with wide eyes. "When?"

"A little over a decade ago. When we were 14."

Her hands flew to her mouth. "Oh, Rowen, no. You were _babies_."

"War doesn't care how old you are," he said simply. His heart clenched at the emotion in her eyes. It was his turn to look away. "We didn't have a choice. There was no one else. And we wouldn't have it any other way—we learned fast, we trained, and we haven't really stopped. Having the armors isn't a one time gig. They're a part of who we are, and it's the role we'll play until we're shuffled off this mortal coil. If something threatens anyone that requires the armors and the powers that come with it, we put them on again. Like we did tonight. Not a damn thing was going to touch any of you or take one of our own."

There was more than acceptance in his voice. There was a measure of pride and certainty in there. It wasn't a role foisted on him completely unwillingly, and it wasn't one he resented. He talked for a long time, telling her about the war and some of the things all five of them endured. Regan absorbed it like a sponge. She knew one evening could not encapsulate everything he went through and did, but it was easy to tell that even this small purge did him good. It had to be a terrible burden to bear alone, but those were his secrets to tell her as he saw fit—she was grateful he told her as much as he did. Her brilliant, geeky, professor boyfriend was a warrior who saved the _planet_ when he was fourteen. And still jumped headlong into danger to save people's lives.

Overcome by this new knowledge, she leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips. "Thank you for everything you've done," she said sincerely.

"I would say that you're taking mystical armor and a war that no one remembers very well, but…"

"Yeah. I move stuff with my mind. I can adjust to armored warriors with powers. Besides, I've made the mistake of not believing before."

Rowen ran his fingers through her hair. "I noticed you also have a knack for throwing yourself in front of charging monsters. If you plan on doing that again, don't. I don't think my heart could take it. But thank you anyway, for protecting my friend. That was brave, and you don't know how much I appreciate it."

"I couldn't let anything happen to them," she said softly. "Not when I can do something about it. Which is probably a sliver of how you feel."

"Every time I put the armor on," Rowen murmured. Despite everything that happened earlier, Rowen's heart felt unburdened. The catharsis of telling her things he rarely discussed with another living soul, and not having her scoff or judge or reject him outright out of fear, was indescribable. And she knew what it was like to keep a huge secret from the world because her slender frame housed a well of energy she could use to protect herself or other people.

It would be so easy, falling in love with her.

"Your armor was gorgeous, by the way. From what I saw."

"You think so?"

Regan grew excited. "I'd love to get a better look at yours again, to see how it's constructed. From what little I could see, it was aesthetically exquisite. Well crafted, from an artist's eye."

Rowen's heart took a tumble right off a cliff. "I'd let you see it," he said gruffly, after clearing his throat, "anytime you wanted."

She grinned, and then her expression grew serious again. "Thank you for telling me. If you ever want to talk about it more, whenever the mood strikes you, I'm here. I want to listen."

Rowen nodded, his blue eyes grave. His roughened fingertips glided over her cheekbone. "That goes for you, too. Having that ability doesn't make you a scary person unless you were morally deficient and used it to hurt people. And you are a good, kind, and compassionate. Screw anyone who thought otherwise. Do you understand? They have no idea, the choices you have to make with that kind of power at your disposal."

Her eyes abruptly flooded with tears. She looked away to compose herself. "You don't know how much I need to hear that sometimes."

And he just bet that she'd heard the opposite more than once in her life. He gathered her to him, and Regan hugged him hard.

She felt the solid strength of him around her, listened to the beating of his heart. She wanted to show him the gratitude, empathy, and affection that had grown for him in the last few hours. Regan dropped a kiss on his neck as she pulled away, and then brushed her nose against his. The atmosphere changed as tension rose and chased away the simple pleasure of comfort, charging the air with something more potent.

His unsteady breathing gave her the courage to touch more, to run her hands down his back, up to his broad shoulders. Her eyes slid shut at the exquisite sensation of Rowen's lips on her jaw, trailing a path of soft kisses down her neck. She had never been with anyone who knew so much, gotten so close to the things she hid away from most people. There was no hiding here. He'd laid himself bare for her, too; all but held out his heart and his secrets to her.

All she had to do was take it and show him she accepted him as he accepted her.

A need almost painful drove her to capture his lips in a searing kiss.

He responded instantly, his large hands sliding up her neck and cradling the back of her head as he possessed her mouth. Rowen groaned with approval when she sat in his lap and wrapped her legs around his waist. Regan found the hem of his shirt and tugged up impatiently. He was only too eager to help toss it over his head, and for a breathless moment they stared into one another's eyes.

"Are you sure?" he asked hoarsely.

"I've never been more sure," she whispered.

Rowen let loose and the two were a flurry of hands and kisses and quick breaths. There was an urgent need to get close, to feel skin on skin, to drown completely in each other. Clothes were quickly removed and bodies pressed together, desperate to become one, to feel like they weren't alone. It was both liberating and terrifying as they came apart in each others' arms, and then slowly put the pieces back together.

* * *

Robyn stared at the closed door—her own hotel room door—arm poised to knock. She had a feeling she really didn't want to interrupt what was going on inside. Certain noises she could hear only confirmed as such and she hung her head with a frustrated sigh.

"She said she wouldn't do this to me," she growled before turning around and knocking on the boys' room across the hall.

Ryo answered the door.

Robyn sighed deeply. "I—they... I don't want to go in there. I have a feeling they're going to be busy all night. I... might have to stay with you guys."

Ryo raised his brows at the insinuation and moved to allow her into the room.

"You kidding me?" Kento called from where he sat cross-legged on the bed. He held an ice pack to the back of his skull. "I can't believe they would do that. Well, actually... nevermind. Rowen totally would. Hell, I think most of the people in this room wouldn't mind getting it on with a hot woman after fighting monsters. Am I right?"

Ryo smirked a little. Cye smirked _a lot_ as he glanced at Mia. Her jaw fell as she playfully slapped his arm. Sage had that "I won't dignify that with a remark" face going on.

Robyn sighed. "Am I going to have to find another room?"

"Getting you to sleep elsewhere wasn't the point of my story."

"Kento!" Mia barked, to which he had the grace to look chastised. She looked at Robyn. "You can stay with me if you would be more comfortable. Cye can sleep with the guys tonight."

There were several frowns in the room and Robyn easily predicted what they were going to say. "No, I'll be fine with the guys. I have the feeling none of them will be happy if the two of us spend the night without at least one protector in the room. Not after what just happened."

Sage and Cye nodded simultaneously.

"And Rob knows I'm joking," Kento grinned with a wink. "It's the concussion talking."

"You don't have a concussion," Sage accused. "You hardly have a bump."

"Good ol' Hardrock never lets me down."

Robyn sat on the bed next to Kento, smiling at him. "I'm pretty sure I'll be safe enough staying with these guys. So if you two want to try to get some sleep, I should be fine here."

"Try," Cye huffed. He didn't know how he was going to get any sleep after that.

Mia was thinking the same thing, though, at the same time she was exhausted. Her body felt like she was going to crash as soon as her head hit the pillow. The two said their good-nights and left the room.

Once it was just the four of them left, Robyn looked around. "So um, how do you guys want to do this? Should I sleep on the floor or...?"

"You're not sleeping on the floor," Ryo insisted. "One of us can sleep on the floor. I don't mind. I'll do it."

She frowned. "That doesn't really seem fair. We're all responsible adults. We can handle this."

"Well, whoever sleeps with Ryo is going to get closer to him than they might want to," Kento said. "Speaking from personal experience."

"What?" Wildfire protested.

"Dude, you were super snugly last night. I did not appreciate it."

"I'm used to having Natsuki in my bed," Ryo mumbled, a bit embarrassed.

Robyn felt a pang of sympathy for him. "I'll sleep with Ryo." When all three men looked at her she added, "I mean, I'll share a bed with him. Hm... that doesn't sound better. But you guys know what I mean."

"Excellent," Kento said. "At least Sage knows how to keep his hands to himself. At least I hope so. Too bad Rowen's not around to ask."

Sage strode toward the door. "I'm going to walk around a bit. I don't think I'm going to sleep unless I'm sure there's nothing else out there."

"Oh, me, too!" Kento volunteered. "You were reading my thoughts." He removed the ice pack, finding the goose egg on the back of his head to now be the size of a marble. Then, he was following Sage out the door, closing it behind.

Ryo stood up as if to go after them, but stopped himself and looked back at Robyn.

"You can go with them," she said. "I won't leave the room by myself."

He sat back down on the bed opposite hers. "Nah, I'll stay. I don't want to leave you by yourself."

"Is it okay that we're sharing a bed? I didn't even think to ask what you thought. If it's weird for you..."

He smiled at her. "It's totally fine. You and I never get to see each other anyway. Tonight we can bond by osmosis."

That made Robyn laugh. Even though she was shivering and had been for a while.

"Are you cold?" Ryo asked.

Robyn blinked at him, not aware of her physical comfort. Too much had happened that night to think of such things. She was only in her damp bathing suit. Most of the hotel issued robes had been left out by the springs and no one wanted to go back there.

Ryo didn't wait for a verbal answer as he dug into his bag and tossed a T-shirt at her. Robyn looked grateful to have it and surreptitiously smelled it—as was her habit whenever she stole shirts from one of the guys—while Ryo's back was turned.

"I have some boxers, too. They're clean. If you don't mind wearing them."

Robyn shrugged. "That's fine. As long as you don't mind."

He smiled at her as he handed them over. "Nah. Natsuki would wear my boxers around the place all the time."

She smiled as Ryo's expression softened at the mention of his ex. "You really liked that girl, didn't you?"

"I loved her. I thought we were always going to be together."

"Can I...do you mind if I asked what happened?"

Ryo ran a hand through his hair as he sighed. "She knew I was keeping things from her—that I had secrets. And when I wouldn't tell her what they were, she left me."

Robyn clutched the shirt in her hand, her heart hurting for him. "Ryo, I'm sorry. That really doesn't seem fair. If you loved her, wouldn't it have been safe to tell her?"

He looked down at his hands. "I tried once, before we moved in together. I tried explaining the armors to her, but it was like her brain shut off in the middle of it. It was so far out of the world she knew, she couldn't process what I was trying to tell her. She got scared and told me not to tease her like that again.

"Some people just can't handle hearing things like that. And I still loved her, so I didn't ever mention it again. I mean, Talpa's gone. He was the reason we were given the armors. If he's no longer around, maybe she would never need to know the whole truth. But Natsuki still knew there were things about me she didn't know. Even if she couldn't understand when I tried to tell her, she still knew that I couldn't fully let her into my world. So one day, I came home and all her things were gone. She left me a note telling me not to contact her and I haven't heard from her since." Despite all the many texts and phone calls, he thought with a sigh.

Robyn crawled over the bed too him and gave him a friendly hug. "I'm sorry. You'll find someone better one day. Someone who will be open to what you have to say, who will accept you for who you are. And in the meantime, you still have all of us."

He leaned into her embrace. "Thanks."

She kissed the crown of his head before shuffling off into the bathroom to change. She kicked off her damp swimsuit and gratefully pulled on the warm, dry clothes. It felt weird going commando in Ryo's boxers. She would have given anything for the opportunity to sneak in the other room and grab a pair of panties. Even an ugly pair.

But nothing could be done about it. She came back out to find Ryo guiltily checking his phone. Talking about his ex brought up old, bad habits. Robyn found herself a little annoyed to see him doing that. Half at this girl who didn't know what an amazing man she had thrown away. The other half at Ryo who kept trying to hold on to someone who clearly wasn't worth his time and heartache. But she wasn't in a position to tell him how to live his life. Instead, she walked around the bed and crawled in from the other side. Suddenly, she was exhausted.

"Well, for what it's worth, if you end up getting snugly tonight, I won't mind. Not after a day like today."

Ryo glanced up from his phone and smiled at her. Robyn was surprised to find that smile made her heart beat a little faster.

The door to their room opened and Kento and Sage stepped back inside.

"You weren't gone long," Ryo said.

"Eh, there's nothing to see," Kento waved his hand in dismissal. "Black as pitch out there and quiet as can be. The two of us wandering around out there like waiting victims wasn't going to help anyone. We figured it was safer if we all just hunkered down together to wait out the night."

While he spoke, Sage had picked up his travel bag and took it to the bathroom with him to change for the night. Kento was already pretty much dressed for bed in a T-shirt and sweat pants. He sat himself next to Robyn who had subconsciously gripped the bedspread tight in her fists at the mention of dark nights and trying to stay safe.

"I really don't think anything else is going to happen tonight," he said, mostly for her benefit.

She relaxed a little, but the truth was they were all pretty shaken up from their deadly encounter. And Robyn had jumped out in front of almost certain death trying to get him to safety. He was the big hero with the mystical armor, she was helpless, exposed in just a bathing suit, and she hadn't hesitated to try to help him. At that moment, he would have done anything to help her feel safer.

All he could think to do was slide companionably into the bed next to her, pulling out his cell phone. "I don't think I showed you the crazy break up texts I got from Fumi. I saved them for posterity." Shoving his feet under the blankets, he got himself comfortable. "Now keep in mind, I broke up with her properly. I went to her place and we had a long talk about how things weren't working out and how the relationship was getting unhealthy. She even said she agreed with me. When I left, I thought we were on the same page.

"Then I get this text: 'I really think we need to talk about this. I'm at your place. Answer the door please.'"

Robyn's eyebrows shot up. "Wow. Were you home?"

"No, I was out with Cye, getting over the breakup myself. He told me to ignore her, so I did. Then I got this text: 'I'll wait for you to get home. We need to work this out. I miss you.' Robyn, we BROKE UP. It was totally, completely clear. And then she acted like that conversation never happened. I get home, and she's in my living room, even though I asked her for my key back—"

"She made another copy?" Robyn asked, fighting a grin.

"Of course she did. I told her we already talked about this and there's nothing more to discuss, and we exchanged a few words but she left. I changed the locks like the next day. I pulled a double shift at work that weekend, and when I checked my phone after, I had these slew of texts:

"'I'm going to pick up Soba-ya for dinner and maybe some sake, want to come over?'

"An hour later: 'Never mind, I guess you're not hungry. I guess I'll drink this sake by myself.'

'Kento, why are you ignoring me?'

'I thought we talked about being friends, Kento, friends don't ignore each other's texts.'

'WHY DOESN'T MY KEY WORK, KENTO? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?'"

Robyn's grin was wide as she listened, totally engrossed in the drama as Kento continued to read.

"'Twelve months of my life tossed down the drain and now you've locked me out of our home?' Oh my god, Robyn, it was never "our home." 'You selfish sonofabitch, I wish I had never met you!'

'I'm sorry, baby, I didn't mean that.'"

Robyn snorted as the tone of the texts suddenly changed from rage-filled to tender and repentant.

"'Do you honestly not want to see me anymore?'

'If you don't respond, I'm setting the purse you got me for my birthday on fire.'

'I hated that purse anyway, and I never told you. IT'S UGLY.'

'FINE. SO THIS IS GOODBYE. I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN, BASTARD.'

'Baby, give us one more chance. Look, I'm coming over. I want to apologize.' And then, Robyn, _and then_ —" He paused to chuckle because Robyn was clutching his bicep, laughing helplessly. "I come home and my window is broken and she's stolen a few hoodies, food from my fridge, all of the alcohol in my pantry, and my toaster."

"No," Robyn choked with laughter. "Not the toaster!"

"I called her out on it, and she texts back, 'How dare you accuse me of breaking into our home? I would never do that to you!'

'Okay, it was me. I did it because I love you and I miss you.' And then I reminded her that she stole a bunch of my shit, and she goes, 'You don't make toast anyway, and you can have the alcohol back, but you have to come to my place to get it.' I straight up ignored her, paid for the window repair myself, and her texts got even angrier and more back and forth. 'I don't WANT to part ways, Kento. I know I freaked you out and I smashed your window and broke in, but don't you have forgiveness in your heart?'

'I care about you. You know we were meant to be.'

'I GIVE UP, KENTO. YOU JUST WAIT.' And then she slashed two of my tires, and then she showed up during one of my shifts to apologize and ended up throwing someone's beer at my head. And then she was barred from the restaurant, and about a dozen more 'we're soulmates and you're making the biggest mistake of your life' texts followed. See, this is funny to you now."

He waited while Robyn caught her breath and wiped the tears from her eyes. Even Sage's shoulders shook every so often with suppressed laughter. Ryo was grinning widely. "But while it was happening, I was seriously afraid she was going to set the restaurant on fire. I bunked at Mia's for a few days after she slashed my tires so she wouldn't repeat it with the new ones. Fumi is certifiably insane, and it isn't even over. It's been months since we broke up and she still sends me hate texts and professes her undying love and sends her friends to message me on facebook or whatever."

"Kento, I am so sorry," Robyn said, ruining the effect by giggling.

"I haven't even told you what ultimately caused the break-up in the first place."

"And what was that?"

"She tried to get me to stop hanging around with the guys."

Robyn let out an audible gasp, immediately scandalized by the mere idea of anyone trying to break up the team.

"I know, right?" Kento chuckled. "That was the kicker, but it was a lot of things building up. The breakup was a long time coming. Now that it's over, it makes for good stories because if you can't laugh at it..."

"You might cry?" Robyn asked with a grin.

He winked at her. "Something like that."

"May I respectfully ask the texts be put on hold for another time?" Sage asked tiredly from the bed, an arm draped over his eyes to block out the lamplight. "We all need to sleep at some point. I am exhausted."

No one could argue with that. It had been a long, confusing and scary day. The break-up texts had worked their magic as all four went to bed with lighter spirits.

In the dark, Robyn suddenly announced in a high voice, "I give up, Kento! You just wait!"

The room filled with snorts and suppressed laughter before it went silent again as they dropped off to sleep.

* * *

"Where does it go when you will it away?"

Regan rested against Rowen's chest, their legs tangled under the sheets pooled at their waists. He lazily ran his fingers through her hair.

"Like a pocket dimension?" she added.

He chuckled. "That's not a bad way to look at it. We've never really known. It comes when I call it. But I always feel its presence. Strata's not sentient, but…it's not unaware, either. It's not just a metal construct that protects me when I fight."

"And you're an archer?"

"Mmhmm."

"That's really cool. I'd love to see you practice."

"Sure. I'd teach you, if you want."

"Yeah?" She looked up at him and smiled. "I'd like that."

Pleased at her interest, Rowen lifted her chin and rewarded her with a slow, thorough kiss. "Don't go anywhere," he murmured, "I'll be right back." He left the futon and headed for the restroom.

Regan watched him go, admiring the movement of his back muscles and backside as he retreated. When he returned, he sat down but didn't lie down at first; he ran his hand down her bare back instead. She sighed when his fingertips traced her shoulder blades, trailed down her spine…and then inevitably ran lightly over the scars on her lower back.

She tensed under his hand, but said nothing. The scars scared him. They stretched across the small of her back in four swipes of scar tissue, as if a great animal had attempted to maul her. He tried to puzzle out what did this to her. Regan didn't offer an explanation, and he didn't want to sully the evening by prying.

Then, out of nowhere, she said, "I turn into a werewolf."

Rowen froze. For a moment, he had no idea if she was kidding.

Her shoulders started to shake with laughter.

"Okay, that was good," he confessed with a grin. "You had me for a minute there, you little punk."

"Your face," she said gleefully. "I'm so happy I was able to use that line. That made my night."

"Just that, huh?"

"Just that," she responded cheekily.

He lay on his side next to her, admiring the moonlight over her skin, how the night turned her dark hair black. Her expression has grown serious as her gaze roamed over him, settling on his face.

"Do you worry about a next time?" she whispered.

"Not always," Rowen said slowly."Yes and no. I almost expect it—for there to even be a need for the armors, I anticipate there to be reasons other than Talpa to use them. It strikes me as…foolish, and naïve, to assume that would be it. I don't like to think that way, but I'd rather be realistic than idealistic."

Regan abruptly remembered Kento's head cracking into the concrete and inwardly cringed. Kento was bad enough, but if it had been Rowen, despite their heightened resilience…

Rowen watched her eyes darken with troubled thoughts, and misinterpreted it. Was she having second thoughts? Would she deem him not worth it, taking on that kind of worry herself? His heart started to pound. He had to know. "Rae…Strata is who I am. And that often means…doing what we just did. Fighting to protect people from things they're not equipped to deal with. I need to know if you're okay with that. Because if you're not, I won't be mad—it's a lot to handle. There's a reason why we don't tell people. Carrying the secret is a lot to ask of someone else, too. I'd understand." I would hate it, he thought, his heart already terrified at the thought of a rejection after what they just shared.

"It scares me for you," she said honestly. "But it's a part of who you are, and I want to know every part of you—not just what you present to the rest of the world. Besides, my best friend in the entire world attracts some scary shit, we both know it. It's kind of how I met her. I don't plan on leaving her anytime soon." Regan stroked the side of his face and said gently, "Why would you be any different?"

Rowen's throat closed. He couldn't speak without embarrassing himself, so he squeezed her hand, then brought it to his lips to the kiss the back of it.

"Did Robyn know what you could do back then?" he finally asked, his voice a little rough as he changed the subject.

"Yes."

"How did you really meet?"

Her eyes gained a faraway look as she collected her thoughts. "I was in a bad place in my life when I was seventeen. Still having trouble with…things that related to my ability." She closed her eyes. She hated not being completely honest with him. "I was really lonely and angry. And then I met this skinny redhead, who'd been so starved for affection that she made friends with people who hurt her. Looking in her eyes was like looking in a mirror. I didn't know how to be anyone's friend then—not much practice—so when she first reached out to me, I almost shut her down. But she kept at it. She didn't give up on me. She was so kind." Regan's eyes filled emotion and she hugged the pillow. "It had been a long time since someone treated me like a regular person. Like a friend.

"I know about the cult," she added frankly. "I knew what she was running from, she told me everything. I wanted to protect her and keep them away from her. We left New York. She helped me get on my feet, and I helped her get to Japan for as far as she'd let me. Japan held the only family who ever cared about Robyn, and her having that was more important than her staying with me, even though it hurt to watch her go." Regan sniffed, smiled, and ran her fingers through his hair. "And look what she found. Not one, but five. Five big, strong heroes that took such good care of her and still do."

He couldn't begrudge her the lack of concrete detail; the weight of a painful past was heavy in her voice. It was enough for him to know that she had a Robyn for a little while, and that Robyn had a Regan, when they needed someone to care for them most. Then Regan had the courage to help her new friend make it to the Ronins.

She didn't have to go into detail about her knowledge of Nago and the cult for him to piece together a horrifying conclusion, either; he knew he'd seen claw marks like the ones on Regan's back before. He'd seen them in Toyama, seven years ago, when Kortez's group came for Robyn. Trying to process what might have happened and what they endured made his stomach churn with nausea and rage, so he stopped before he started to pry and focused on the fact that this brave girl was alive, still a part of Robyn's life, and now a part of his.

"You have no idea how glad I am you two had each other," he told her. Rowen's knuckles sank into the futon as he leaned over to brush his lips on her forehead, her cheek, her lips, and then down her neck and back. He paused at a mark near her shoulder blade he'd never noticed before. It almost looked like a tattoo, but the lighting was too poor to tell, and he had more important things to focus on. He pressed his lips down the length of her spine, and then purposely kissed her scars. Her breath trembled as he traced the marks he prayed didn't come from a fight of any kind. When he finished, he turned her over and took his time caressing and kissing every inch, relishing the sighs and gasps he drew out of her.

The pleasure wrought from Rowen's hands and his mouth burned slowly through Regan's body. He was gentle, almost revering in the way he touched her. This time, they made love slowly, carefully. Exploring each other in the awe of this new thing they found in one another. And when it was over, they fell into a deep, satisfied sleep in each others' arms.


	7. Chapter 6

**Urban Legend**

 **Chapter 6**

The cold woke him up.

A shiver worked through Sage and prompted him to pull the blanket up to his neck. It didn't seem to help; in fact, he was cold right down to his feet. He didn't remember the room being that chilly when he finally went to bed. Had they left a window open?

He rolled onto his side, and frowned at how hard the bed felt. The futons were soft and plush; he'd slept very well the night before. Now it was like he fell asleep on the hardwood floor. Irritated, Sage sat up and opened his eyes to bright daylight. And then froze.

This was _not_ the room they fell asleep in.

Halo gaped at the battered, crumbling walls, gray with age and mottled with holes. The shattered mirror in the corner; the dirty floor their suitcases sat on. He looked down at the moth-eaten, filthy, tattered blanket that had been wrapped around him all night.

 _All night_.

Sage let out a high-pitched squawk that drew a grunt of surprise from the slumbering Kento next to him. The blond scrambled out of bed, nearly falling on his ass to the equally dirty old floorboards. His palms hit something moist and wet on the floor, and he made another strangled sound of disgust. The pillow he'd slept on was a sack of old feathers in a dirty, stained pillowcase. Sage's hands immediately went to his hair to make sure nothing had crawled in it; he was beginning to feel sick.

Kento lay next to him on his stomach, face buried in one of those nasty sacks, dead to the horror that surrounded them. Sage's flopping around rousted the warrior of strength and he awoke to a muggy, stank smell coming from his pillow. His head shot up, eyes going wide as he looked around. Where were they? This couldn't be the same hotel room... could it?

"What. The. HELL?! What's going on?" His voice rose in pitch with each word as he kicked off the blankets. Though standing barefoot on the nasty floors wasn't much of an improvement.

Sage was nearly hyperventilating now. Standing with eyes wide, arms held away from his side as if he didn't want any part of him touching any other part.

"Guys! Ryo! Get up!" Kento barked.

The two sleeping in the second bed eventually opened their eyes and the squawking and yelling started all over again.

* * *

Rowen wasn't sure what woke him. It could have been the light—he could have sworn the curtains had been drawn last night, but he felt it on his skin, despite the chill in the air. Or it could have been the presence of the woman in his arms.

Thrilled that the night before hadn't been a dream, he kept his eyes closed and held Regan's sleeping form closer to him. There were goosebumps on her skin, so he fished around blindly for the blankets to cover them both up. When he found them, he frowned to himself. They felt coarse and…kind of grimy.

Strata opened his eyes. His immediate line of vision was the two bay windows. For a moment, he couldn't comprehend what he was looking at. The window frames were eroded and gray, the wood old and splintered. The curtains and the glass were gone, so chilly mountain air wafted freely into the room.

What the hell?

He slowly sat up and took in a sharp breath when he saw the state of the room. The floorboards were rotted and warped, swollen with moisture where they had once been smooth and gleaming. The lamps were old and cracked with bare, shattered bulbs, and the walls were stained with mysterious substances and crumbling plaster.

It was like waking up to a nightmare.

Rowen could hear what had woken him up; noise from the next room. Voices raised in panic. Oh, shit, it was real. Not a nightmare. Rowen threw down the disgusting blanket and searched wildly for one of the robes to cover Regan with—only to find the nearest robe was a threadbare, dirty scrap of cloth. Nausea gripped his stomach as he shook Regan's shoulder, but she was already waking up.

"Rowen?" Her voice rose with panic and horror as she took in their surroundings. Regan all but climbed on him when she realized what they'd slept in.

"Out, out, out," he chanted, picking her up and leaving the bed as quickly as possible. Feeling horribly exposed, Regan didn't want to be let down at first, clinging to Rowen's neck and letting out distressed moans as she stared around the room and at the futon. The broken down, dingy futon where they had…she was going to be sick.

"I've got to put you down, we need to get out of here," Rowen was telling her, trying to ease her back on the ground. Regan finally released her death grip on his neck and all but sprinted for her suitcase to find clothes when her toes touched the floor. She grabbed her and Robyn's things in a flash while Rowen dressed in the few clothing items he'd brought with him.

They both jumped when they heard a yelp and a scream from across the hall.

"Mia and Cye just woke up," Rowen observed. Hysterical laughter bubbled up his throat and threatened to burst out. This wasn't real. This had to be a dream. Or a prank. Right? He led a wild-eyed Regan out of the room, and they nearly ran into Kento and Sage.

"Are you seeing this shit?" Kento demanded.

Regan slipped past him into the guys' room and found Ryo and Robyn, the latter still staring at the walls and the room as a whole with a frown of revulsion. It smelled way worse in this room. Like something soggy had been left out to decompose.

"Clothes," Regan called, handing Robyn her suitcase.

"Shoes," the redhead insisted. Thanks to Ryo, she was well covered. It was her feet on this nasty floor she worried about.

Regan gave her an apologetic grimace. They had been left in the other room.

"I'll get them," Ryo said, his own sneakers now on. Everyone was silently grateful none of their own possessions had fallen victim to this overnight phenomenon.

Chaos reigned for the next few minutes as everyone dressed and packed with lightning  
speed. Mia and Cye emerged from their room, the brunette looking traumatized. Kento did a quick search up and down the hall and found no one else in their wing of the inn.

It was time to get the hell out of there.

The hallway leading to the lobby, once brightly lit with gleaming floors, was dim and only lit by blocks of gray sunlight coming from the open doors of other empty, deteriorated rooms.

The lobby was in shambles. Holes in the roof; broken down furniture with stained, thin cushions; beyond, the dining hall with a few busted tables, dusty chandeliers, and chairs turned on their sides. The front desk was cracked in half and caked with dust and pine needles that had fallen in from a large fissure in the roof.

A bronze call bell sat on the uneven surface.

Robyn stared at the front desk for as long as she could while the group carefully picked their way among the debris to the sagging open front doors. She half expected the old man to rise up from behind the decrepit desk and thank them for their stay, but it remained vacant. Regan hooked her arm and tugged her out the door.

The air outside was cool and refreshing, yet it lacked something that had smelled so sweet when they first arrived. The permanent mist that always hung around the grounds was gone.

Once safely in the parking lot, everyone turned to gawk at the building. It was just as shabby and rundown on the outside as it had been on the inside. It looked as old as the style of architecture. The lush flora and fauna carefully planted along the sides of the inn were dead, gnarled shrubs and overgrown climbing vines. Window glass was either gone or smashed in.

No one had been in this inn for decades. Maybe over a century. The group felt lucky that the whole place hadn't just collapsed on them before they were able to get out.

There were still other cars besides their two in the parking lot, but they were older models that had clearly been sitting there for a decade or two; one with a flat tire and another with grime caked on all of the windows.

"Anyone care to make a guess as to what just happened?" Rowen demanded. "How does an entire building get this decrepit overnight?"

"What if..." Mia said softly, "what if it had always been this way?"

And they had all stayed in it for two whole nights. The entire group turned a shade of green.

"Alright, everyone in, we're leaving," Cye announced. "We are all going back to the mansion until we can figure this out."

Everyone seemed to be in agreement and they could not get out of there fast enough. As Kento attempted to peel out of there, Robyn pointed from the passenger seat.

"Look."

As they drove past, they were given a clear view of the damaged wall of the hot springs. The damage looked fresh. No matter what trick had been pulled on them, the fight and that monster the night before had been real. Kento felt chills up his spine and he hit the gas.

He drove with his hand clenched on the wheel, his shoulders hunched and tight. Rowen had managed to fold himself in the back with Regan plastered against him. Ryo sat on the other side of her. Cye drove hot on their heels while they wound back down the mountain road to the main route that would take them home.

The car was silent. The radio was off. No one spoke as they tried to process what just happened.

Rowen finally took a deep breath. "That—"

"No, man." Kento shook his head. "Not yet."

The vehicle went silent, except for the purr of the jeep's engine.

"But why did we even go to sleep?" Rowen asked.

Kento almost shushed him again, and then pondered that. "You know what, I have no fucking idea. Like, a giant snake asshole destroyed those hot springs, and we fought it, and then we went to _bed_. Why didn't we leave?"

"Police never came," Regan added in a faraway voice. "No one called the police. It was like no one else saw the fight. But there _were_ other people there, right? I remember other people."

Rowen frowned silently, his arm in Regan's lap and her fingers laced in his. He specifically remembered people, bodies, during meal time, moving in and out of the hot springs. But, come to think of it, he couldn't recall any _faces_. He couldn't recall any overheard conversations from other parties. Nothing. They were like human-shaped phantasms. Place holders where real people should have been—if any had really been there.

One glance around the car told him the rest were coming to that same realization.

"It never even occurred to me to take us out of there," Ryo frowned. "I don't understand why."

"Seriously we just…went to our rooms." Kento's eyes were wide as he watched the road. "Killed a demon in the hot springs and then stayed at the hotel. A _janky_ hotel."

"It wasn't like that when we went to bed," Ryo said.

"It was like that the whole time and you know it. We slept in that shit from day one and had no idea." Kento's large frame gave a shudder. "Like it was an illusion."

"We ate food there," Rowen stressed. "What were we eating? Who the hell made our food?"

"Why did you bring that up?" Regan asked weakly.

The car went quiet again. They made it almost an hour with everyone stewing over what happened to themselves. Ryo sneezed and startled the entire car. Kento tried to play music, but couldn't stand to listen to it for long, and shut it off. Someone let out an aggravated sigh.

"Aw, crap!" Robyn suddenly complained, and everyone jumped again. "I left my swimsuit in the bathroom!" She growled as she rubbed her face. "I really liked that one. I don't want to go shopping again."

Kento barked out a laugh, though he didn't necessarily feel like anything was funny. "I guess it's gone now. You're certainly not going back in there."

"Bet you twenty bucks I would go back in there to get it," she shot back.

Kento tried to stare at her in disbelief, but he had to keep his eyes on the road. "You can't be serious."

"You are _not_ going back in there," Ryo insisted from the back.

"Of course, I'm not going to make you drive all the way back now. But if we were still in the parking lot, I'd go get it. Yeah, it scared the hell out of us to wake up in filth, but no one else was there. Whatever it was before, it's just an old, empty building now."

"You don't know there was nothing else in that building," Rowen accused. He earned some claw marks in his arm from Regan's nails for that idea.

"You're right, I don't," she admitted with a shrug. "It just didn't seem like there was. I'm only saying I wish I would have remembered to grab it when I had the opportunity, that's all."

Rowen and Ryo glanced at each other. They had forgotten Robyn sometimes displayed an odd affectation that didn't always match the situation. As long as she wasn't trying to go back, they were okay with it.

* * *

The Koji manner was a welcome sight. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they parked in front of Mia's house, collected their things, and headed inside a solid structure they knew to be exactly what it claimed to be.

Showers were the first order of business. Sage made a beeline for the downstairs bathroom while practically everyone else yelled after him not to take all the hot water. He made no indication he heard as he dragged his entire suitcase into the bathroom with him and locked the door.

Regan took the upstairs bathroom, Robyn following behind her, saying she'd join to save water. Rowen stalked after them with a grin until the girls kicked him out.

Mia went to the master bathroom, inviting Cye with her. But he said he would wait until later. His instincts to feed everyone—they hadn't even stopped for breakfast on the way back—outweighed his need to get clean.

Mia surveyed her appearance before hopping in the shower. She didn't think she looked all that dirty. A little dusty from waking up in a nasty, old bed that hadn't been touched in years, yes. But two days' worth of filth being in such a place? She wasn't sure. Had it really all been fake? Or had they drifted in and out in a realm of reality where the active hotel had existed?

No way to tell now, and Mia was still more than happy for the shower. It was tempting to stay under the hot water for an hour, but she remembered her guests and washed her hair quickly before shutting off the water.

She listened to the drip, drip dripping from the spout as she wrung water from her long, thick hair. A hot shower combined with the humidity of the midday summer did not make her in too big of a hurry to grab a towel. She would be plenty warm for a while.

As she went to pull back the curtain, Mia had the distinct feeling she wasn't alone in the bathroom. Cye often came in as he pleased to brush his teeth or get ready for work. But she didn't really _hear_ anything that indicated he was present. It was more of a feeling that something else was in there, taking up space.

 _Do you want the red paper or the blue paper?_

The story came unbidden to her mind. Of course she had to think about it now, when she was alone and naked in the bathroom. So stupid. She tried to will herself to push the frosted shower door open, telling herself she was being ridiculous. Then, she could have sworn she heard an intake of breath. Like someone was about to speak. Mia froze, breath still in her chest.

The bathroom door opened. "Hey love? I've got some food ready if you're hungry," came Cye's reassuring voice.

Mia poked her head out of the shower, finding it completely empty, save for the Ronin Warrior that was also poking his head into the room. She wanted to laugh at how silly she was. Of course she was letting her imagination get the best of her after a morning like that.

"Sounds good. I'll be there in a minute."

* * *

Even Cye seemed a bit off his game from that morning. The meal consisted of noodles and rice, whatever leftovers happened to be in the fridge and any remaining fruit he could find. All the girls and Sage were now clean, all sitting at the table with towels wrapped around their heads—Sage included.

Soon, the remaining four managed to find a few minutes to get clean—without a drop of warm water to spare—and they all remained in the dining room long after the first group had finished eating. No one wanted to go anywhere alone. Not until they had thoroughly discussed what had happened to them.

"Maybe we were under the influence of a ... spell or enchantment. That's why we saw a nice, functioning hotel. That's why we stayed even after the fight," Ryo suggested. "I don't know any other way to put it, because in our right minds, we'd have been here yesterday. I should have gotten everyone the hell out of there last night. But I didn't."

"No one thought about it, Ryo," Sage said. His skin was still crawling in a way the hot shower wouldn't be able to fix. "And I think you are correct; there was a definite enchantment of some kind. I can feel the difference now. The air there had a dense quality to it, and we were very much lulled into complacency."

"For what purpose though?" Cye asked. "For the monster you think?"

"Maybe the whole set up is to lure food up there to it," Kento added. "But it got more than it bargained for. When we killed it, that broke the spell."

Regan thought about the empty cars that remained in the parking lot. Past victims of the same scam? She gave a sickly groan as she felt a little ill.

The group went silent as they considered it. Though none of it should have been real, this theory made sense. Sage remembered Robyn's words—it was as if they woke something up—and suppressed a shiver. He glanced over at the redhead. She seemed concerned, but not as traumatized as the other two girls.

"The biggest question is," Cye said quietly, "is it over? Did we leave it behind, or were there more of those things?" Mia closed her eyes, and he slipped his arm around her waist.

"If there were, wouldn't we still be there?" Kento argued. "Wouldn't we still be under that spell, eating pretend breakfast while the next one came for us?"

"Or they realized they weren't going to have an easy time of making a meal out of us so they let us go," Rowen offered. "Either way, that makes it unlikely, if there's anything left up there, that it would allow us to go all the way back to Toyama before attacking again. That's got to be at least a week's worth of slithering for a giant snake to take that journey. We're probably home free."

"Doesn't mean we should start sleeping with the doors unlocked," Kento said.

Ryo nodded. "We have two more days where no one has to go back to work, right? Then we stay here and wait it out. No one goes anywhere alone, and we see what happens."

"I hate to bring this up," Rowen piped in, "but do you think our _other_ job would require us to go back and make sure there isn't anything else left up there preying on innocent people?"

"Rowen, no," Regan pleaded, gripping his wrist.

"Actually, if you do go back," Robyn suddenly spoke with the raise of her hand, "I left a swim suit-"

"No," Kento cut her off, grabbing her wrist and putting it back in her lap. "It's tainted now. You're not getting it back."

She frowned.

"We might have to go back," Sage said gravely. "There very well could be no danger left, but we do need to make sure. But I suggest baby steps for now. We need to be certain this place and the people here are safe. Then we can talk about the possibility of going back there for a second look." It was clearly unspoken throughout the room that not a single one of them was looking forward to ever returning to that place in their lifetime.

"In full armor this time," Kento said, trying to keep up some measure of bravado.

Ryo nodded. "For tonight at least, I suggest everyone goes on rotation for watch duty."

They all agreed.

Regan watched as the five men settled on a schedule so one of them would be awake at all hours during the night. It was a side of them she had never seen, outside of the small and hectic preview when the snake attacked. Ryo took effortless command of the situation in a way that made Rowen's narrative even more grounded in reality. Their identity as Ronin Warriors was, indeed, every bit as a part of them as the faces they presented to the rest of the world, and this glimpse of the five of them as who they really were was intense and a little awe-inspiring. The other four yielded to Ryo as soldiers yielded to their commander; even Rowen was tense-jawed and agreeable when they sketched out how to proceed for the next two days. Regan was fascinated and comforted by it. She was beginning to fully appreciate why Robyn was so devoted to these five.

When they all agreed on a schedule, the troubled atmosphere of the room somewhat lifted. Everyone was grateful to be clean, fed, and at a familiar location.

"This is all Rae's fault, anyhow," Kento said through a mouthful of udon.

The brunette groaned and covered her face. "Oh my god, I know. I'm so sorry. Don't ever listen to me again."

"He's only half kidding," Rowen said in her ear.

"I'm not kidding at all." Hardrock winked at her when she looked up.

"I probably would have suggested it if Rae hadn't," Robyn put in. "We were far more scared of teenagers at the time than monsters."

That earned her a round of chuckles from the group and the air was suddenly a bit lighter.

* * *

The rest of the day became a challenge to find something to do while playing it safe. Even though Mia's house was large, there was still a feeling of cabin fever when the day's weather was so beautiful. One Ronin or another was constantly skulking around the property outside, checking the parameter. When Rowen decided to do it, Regan stuck to him like glue, her hand on the crook of his elbow. Even though it was obvious she had the ability to take care of herself, she felt safer near him. Besides, she still had so many more questions.

"So each one of your armors have a different theme?"

"We like to think of it as different elements. Sounds less like we're going to a party."

She smiled at him. "Yes, element. Since Ryo's is probably fire."

"Yes. Kento's is earth, Cye's is water—"

"Naturally."

"Naturally. Sage's is light and mine is air. And there you have the armors of Wildfire, Hardrock, Torrent, Halo, and Strata."

Regan blinked at so many unfamiliar names thrown at her at once. "I might need you to say that one more time before I get them all."

As they talked, Regan noticed Robyn had made herself comfortable on some reclining outside furniture. She was stretched out in the shade reading a book. Not too far away was Ryo—Wildfire—and Robyn had probably positioned herself there so no one would get after her for being outside without an escort.

Ryo was out because the day had made him antsy and he needed something to do. He recalled Mia had, on more than one occasion, complained Cye never got around to chopping the wood in the back unless it was needed. During the cold weather, any time they wanted wood for the fireplace, he would go out, chop only what he needed, and leave the rest unfinished. Ryo took it upon himself to split the fat, round logs into manageable portions while his mind drifted off to the past few days. Internally he tortured himself with possibilities. Were there signs of danger that they missed? Had they let their guard down? If they were better would they have not been so taken by surprise?

"Hey, Ryo?"

He paused before a swing to look over at Robyn.

"So since Regan knows everything now, would it be okay if she met White Blaze?"

Ryo wiped his brow. The humid hot summers of Japan would put off anyone from hard physical labor in the middle of the day. Ryo only found it slightly uncomfortable. "I don't see why not. He'll probably be around sometime this afternoon when it cools down and he realizes his people are home."

"Awesome! Thanks! She will love him!"

He smiled at her and then turned to look at his firewood. Robyn was still looking at him when he decided to remove his shirt and tuck it in the back pocket of his low slung jeans. Her eyes were large behind the pages of her novel, the book pulled up to her face so she was barely peeking over. She watched the muscles of his back as he rolled his shoulders and then went back to work. Robyn tried to go back to her reading, but it was quite difficult. Each _thwok_ of the axe splitting the wood drew her eyes back up to watch him, his biceps and abs taut with tension as he swung again. His raven black hair was getting sweaty, but he never paused in his task to rest. From his knit brows and distracted expression, she could tell his thoughts were back on the inn and the attack, so he had no idea he had an audience.

 _Thwok_. Ryo stretched to grab another log, the sun gleaming off the bronzed skin of his back. He paused to tug the shirt out of his pocket and wipe the sweat off his forehead, his expression still borderline dangerous as he thought of their predicament.

Robyn bit her lip and turned on her side, away from him and with her nose back in the book.

* * *

"Dude. Do that again."

Regan suppressed a smile. She was seated cross-legged on the floor, her back against the couch. Several members of the group were camped out in front of the television, watching zany Japanese game shows, and Regan had been enjoying them, too, as they took little translation to understand the gist, but a peculiar request placed by Hardrock distracted her.

She stared at a book on the coffee table, and with a gentle push in her mind, opened the front cover. The pages began to flip lazily, as if someone were thumbing through them, until the book shut again. Sage was watching from the couch, his head tilted as if he were trying to sense the energy coming from her needed to do it.

"Can you lift the coffee table?" Kento asked, his eyes still on the book. He broke out into a grin when it levitated a few inches, and then dropped softly back to the ground. "Can you lift _me?_ "

Regan chuckled. "Are you sure you want me to?"

"Do Sage instead."

"I'll pass, thank you," the blond told Regan.

"How often do you use it in an everyday setting?" Rowen wondered.

"When it's convenient, or for practice. I've never met a locked door I couldn't take care of."

"Hey, Regan," Robyn called as she poked her head into the living room. She was beaming. "I have a surprise."

"Is it a pony?"

"Even better. I asked Ryo if you could meet White Blaze and he said yes!" Robyn fairly danced in place.

Regan stood. "That's…great that I get to meet Ryo's cat."

"Oh no, he's not just any cat. I couldn't exactly tell you before, but White Blaze is a, um, special cat."

Regan glanced at the guys, who were all smiling weirdly. "I guess I should just expect anything at this point. Is he a talking cat?"

"Nope!"

"Can he fly?"

"I don't think so. He _is_ a tiger, though."

She laughed. "Oh, really?"

"Really! Ta da!"

A massive white tiger appeared around the redhead and padded casually into the room. It was then that Regan noticed 1) all the white cat fur on her friend's shirt, and 2) White Blaze was a _tiger_.

"Eee!" Regan gave a happy, startled, laughing shriek, her hands flying to her mouth as she gaped at him. "Robyn he's a TIGER!"

"I told you," Robyn grinned and draped herself around the big cat's neck. "Hi, boy! It's so wonderful to see you! Oh, you look so good!"

Rae's eyes were wide as she slowly approached the beautiful creature that watched her patiently. "Ryo, you have a tiger," she whispered.

"I know," Wildfire chuckled as he came further into the room. "Regan, this is White Blaze."

"Can I pet him?"

"Of course."

Although she had gotten Ryo's permission, White Blaze watched her with such preternatural intelligence that it felt wrong not to check with him, too. As Regan slowly crouched down, she asked, "Would it be okay if I pet you?"

The massive, stunning white tiger pushed his large head into her outstretched hand. Regan laughed with wonder, forgetting what little shred of fear and uncertainty she had at approaching a tiger. She dropped to the ground, stroking his thick fur and cooing at him. "Oh, you are _beautiful_. You are so handsome. It's so nice to meet you! Look at your giant toe beans!" She ran her fingers over his huge paws and giggled. "Wow. You know, I believe Ryo when he says you can make pancakes, you look like you could bench press cars, honey."

Robyn joined her in showering the tiger with affection and praise, and Ryo stepped away towards the other Ronins. They looked on a bit jealously as White Blaze was stroked and loved on, the tiger purring like an engine, his eyes nearly rolled in the back of his head at the divine treatment. He flopped onto his side like a big house cat, and the girls got comfortable on the floor with him. Mia joined them when she came downstairs, kneeling to give him kisses and pets before moving to the kitchen to see about dinner.

* * *

The night was spent indoors watching movies. Most everyone fit on the furniture while Robyn lay on the floor, her bare toes buried in White Blaze's fur. When it was nearly 11 o'clock, everyone began to think about going to bed.

Cye took the first watch. He wandered around outside the house once, White Blaze at his side, before returning to the back porch. Though it was dark, he noticed a figure sitting on the back stairs, female by the size of them.

"Robyn," he said in surprise as he came closer.

"Hey."

"What are you doing out here?"

"Enjoying the dark and the quiet. It's so bright and noisy in the city. This is nice."

Cye sat himself beside her. "How's your friend doing through all of this? If you're out here, will you be keeping her up?"

Robyn gave a single laugh. "She's as safe as she could be. And she's not sharing my room. Believe me, I won't be the one keeping her up."

Cye chuckled a little, too. "And you'll be okay by yourself tonight?"

"Of course. I'm as safe as I could be in this place and I am looking forward to having a bed to myself."

He gave her a momentary side-long look. He still marveled at the difference between the scared, skittish young girl he reunited with in high school and the calmer, almost unflappable young woman sitting next to him now. He wondered, not the first time, at all the growing up she did during the six year separation. "You're different."

She smiled, still gazing out at the dark woodlands around them. "Am I?"

"I just keep expecting to find you scared and nervous about all this, but you're not."

"I got tired of being scared a long time ago. I don't scare so easily anymore. Especially when you guys are around."

He smiled at her.

"There are days I still can't believe you're getting married, though," Robyn then said. "Sometimes I feel like we're still too young for all that."

"I know. I felt like that a little at first. But I love Mia. I'm ready to do this. I'm excited to do it."

"Good. I'm glad. And I'm happy for you. I hope you'll be happy, too."

In response, Cye put an arm around her shoulder and leaned his cheek against the top of her head. They quietly sat together like that for some time.

* * *

With five Ronin Warriors to cover a mere six to seven hours, Cye was only out guarding the parameter for a little over an hour and a half before Rowen came out to take his turn on watch duty. Regan was with him. Those two would no doubt be joined at the hip for as long as they stayed at the house. Cye didn't mind it too much. In fact, he was happy that his fellow warrior was lucky to find someone who he could share this secret part of their lives with. Even if it did all come out unplanned.

It was sometime after midnight when Cye padded into the bedroom with bare feet. Mia was still awake, sitting cross-legged on the bed with the TV on and the volume down low. Most of her attention was turned to all the paperwork spread around her. All of it had to do with the wedding. She was going through her checklist of what had been booked and what still needed to be done. She bounced between that and double checking the budget to make sure they were still within their spending goals.

"How's it looking, love?" Cye asked as he leaned over the bed to give her a peck on the cheek.

"Not bad," she said as she exhaled loudly. "If we keep going at this pace, we should be able to get everything done with some time to spare."

"That's why I let you be in charge," he grinned as he winked her way and walked toward the bathroom. "You know how to get things done."

"One thing you still need to do is get you and your team down to be measured for tuxes."

No sound from the bathroom.

"Cye..."

"I'll try, love!" came the exasperated response. "You know none of them are going to be happy to go."

"Including you," Mia muttered to herself as she gathered all her papers. Sage was probably the only one of them that had ever been fitted for anything in his life. They would probably all rather wear their armors instead of suits any day of the week. Wouldn't that make for an interesting wedding.

Mia smiled a bit to herself at the mental picture of it all. She had to admit she wouldn't have minded having them all in full earth-saving regalia for her wedding if it weren't for all the obvious problems and the ridiculous amount of explanation it would cause. Perhaps after it was all over she could somehow get a picture of her in her wedding dress and her heroes in their armor.

At the thought of pictures, Mia glanced at her camera that had been sitting on the bed all this time. It had haunted her, called to her curiosity all night and she was dying to look through it. That village. All the photos she had taken of those empty buildings. It was only the first of a series of dangerous and creepy occurrences that happened to them.

She had yet to go through her camera to take a second look at her photos. For some reason, she just couldn't bring herself to do it while she was sitting alone in the bedroom. It felt safer now with Cye around, even if he was currently in the bathroom with the sink water running. His proximity was enough to bolster her courage.

She picked up the camera and switched it on so she could browse all the digital stills saved to her memory card. She flipped through some old pictures before finding the set of the abandoned village. Taking a deep breath, she slowly looked through them.

Mia had gone nuts with the camera while she was there. There were dozens of pictures to go through. There was picture after picture of decrepit houses leaking fog from every door. Some of them turned out really well and Mia became distracted by her own eye for composition. She would love to take a few of these to her coworkers and fellow historians at the university and show them off. But wait…they might ask where she found the village and would possibly go there themselves. It probably wasn't a good idea to share this information right now.

In a few of the pictures, Mia noticed something odd in the background. In what would have been a completely open and barren field, there was something sticking out of the fog. At first, Mia assumed they were large, gray boulders, but she didn't recall seeing any such rocks. And they were in a row, one right after the other. One had three and then, in a second picture of the field, there were only two. And they had moved farther along.

It was difficult to see with the little preview window on her camera. Mia decided she would have to bring these up on her laptop to get a better view. But they reminded her of pictures one would see of sea serpents, their arched backs sticking out of the water, two or three humps in a row.

Mia recalled the snake monster. Had it been up there with them, slithering around in the fog? With the camera held right up to her face so she wouldn't miss a detail, Mia slowly flipped through the pictures to see if there were any other such serpent-like details she had missed.

Her eyes were right in front of the view screen, very focused on the details as she came to pictures of the shrine. The first one was from a distance, the building looming before her as if awaiting her approach. Mia knew the next one would be closer; the one she took right at the entrance. Perhaps it even captured a few of the talismans hanging from the ceiling on the inside.

Instead of seeing the open doorway, when she scrolled to the next photo, there was suddenly a ghastly, grinning figure on the film. She screamed and dropped the camera onto the mattress, instantly scooting back from the device as if it would attack her.

Cye immediately popped his head into the room, toothbrush hanging from his mouth. He could see no immediate danger, but Mia stared at him wide-eyed, chest heaving as if she had been in danger.

"The... on the camera," she managed to say.

Cye spat into the sink before wandering curiously over. Without a word, he retrieved the camera, noticing Mia hugging her knees as he did so. When Cye looked at the preview screen he, too, almost dropped it. Standing at the mouth of the shrine stood a black, human-shaped figure. It hunched toward the camera as if it knew its picture was being taken. It had wide, wild white eyes and a grin that split its face from one side to the other.

The sight chilled Cye to the bone. Not just the manic grin on the screen, but the fact that the thing had been standing so close to Mia and none of them had known it was even there.

"No," he said simply, shutting the camera down. "That…that can wait until morning."

Mia watched him take the camera all the way to the small safe where she kept old, priceless family heirlooms and important papers locked up. He opened it, placed it inside, and locked the safe again, as if the camera contained the trapped ghoul and the safe would keep it from springing out. She stared at the grey metal box housing the evidence of what had come so close to her, unable to banish the image from her mind.

Cye had to coax her to lie down, and curled around her protectively as they tried to sleep.

They slept with the bedside lamp on.


	8. Chapter 7

**Urban Legend**

 **Chapter Seven**

Everyone sat quietly around the long dining room table, all eyes on the camera placed in the middle. No one wanted to touch it.

Upon the discovery the night before of what was captured on film, Cye opted to let everyone sleep. No sense waking the rest of the group for something that could wait until morning. A picture, although terrifying to look at, would not bring danger for them merely by being found out. Still, Mia was not comfortable even keeping the camera out while they slept. Cye wouldn't have admitted it out loud, but he, too was more than happy to lock the camera up in their small floor safe for the night.

In the morning, Cye explained to his fellow warriors what they had seen. No one had yet to confirm with their own eyes what was on the film. None of them wanted to.

Cye stood over them all, the silent witness, daring anyone to see what he saw. The minutes ticked by and everyone was quiet. The longer it went on, the more uncomfortable everyone became until Rowen couldn't take it anymore.

"Fine, I'll look," he said, reaching for the camera. With another deep breath, he turned it on, bringing up the review screen. "Which picture is it?"

"You have to go through a bunch first," Mia instructed. "It's near the end when we get to the shrine."

Strata was clearly not happy with that. Going through picture after picture just built up the tension. Mia refused to touch the camera again to find the correct shot for him so it was all a guessing game. Regan now leaned over his shoulder to watch, Ryo hovering on the other side as Rowen flipped through all the photos. He pressed the next button faster and faster, losing patience and not being able to stand the suspense.

The picture flashed by, and Regan made a small noise as she saw it. It was clearly different than the others. The dark figure taking up most of the frame made it easy to notice, even when being perused so quickly. Rowen stopped and slowly went back to bring it up. He sucked in a breath when he finally landed on the right one.

"Yikes."

"To say the least," Ryo muttered behind him. That wide ear-to-ear grin was haunting. "What _is_ it?"

Regan had to look away; the picture gave her the creeps. "Robyn, come look at this and tell us what you think."

Rowen passed the camera down the table, but before Robyn could grab it, Sage reached over and held up a palm to stop it. Halo refused to touch the camera himself and had sat himself in the seat furthest from said camera.

"She doesn't need to see it," Sage insisted.

"Why not?" Regan asked. "Robyn's very good with this sort of stuff."

All eyes were suddenly on her and Robyn began to sink in her seat. She kept going until her chin was level with the top of the table.

"What the hell does that mean?" Kento asked, standing over her.

She continued to slide down further, and probably would have made it all the way to the floor if Kento hadn't grabbed the back of her shirt and pulled her up.

Seeing she wasn't going to get away until she gave an answer, Robyn let out a deep breath.

"I've...kind of been studying the paranormal these last few years."

"What? Why?" Kento blurted behind her.

Robyn let out a deep breath. "That thing that happened to me when we were teenagers—dark things would follow me around sometimes. Sometimes they draw me to them. I've spent these last few years learning more about it all. Learning what I can do to take control of it."

"What do you mean take control of it?" Cye asked, sounding worried.

"Not control of it, control of me. Of my situation," Robyn clarified. "I've found someone to train with who's helped me out. I can... repel—I guess that's the best word—some of these darker energies that come around. Or, at the very best, neutralize it. Because there's neutral dark and evil dark. Me—I'm neutral dark, if that makes any sense."

"She has an instructor who's helping her," Regan said. "Zora says she's a good student."

"Why didn't you explain any of this to us before?" Sage asked quietly next to her.

Robyn shrugged. "I hardly feel like I've explained it well now. It's difficult to put into words. I have a higher sensitivity to the paranormal. But I've been learning ways to counteract it so it doesn't negatively effect my life. I'm still learning though, I'm not perfect at it. Just trying to take it each day at a time."

"Okay," Rowen announced, with almost challenge in his voice. "You've piqued my curiosity. Take a look at this."

He handed the camera over to Robyn who took it without any hesitation. Sage, sitting right next to her, still didn't want to look, though Kento hovered over her in curiosity.

Robyn felt Hardrock jerk back behind her as she looked at the picture on the screen. It was definitely an unsettling thing to view.

"It's a haunting of some sort, that's for sure," Robyn said. "None of us saw it even though it was in our midst. Only the camera could catch it. It's probably someone who lived in the village a long time ago."

"No, no way," Kento said. "That—that isn't right. That's got to be some kind of demon."

Robyn shrugged again. "Japan actually has very unsettling ghosts that are scary, but not demonic in nature. It has a lot to do with the Shinto belief that souls are automatically angry upon death and can only make it to heaven if they're prayed for. As strange as it sounds, a person's personal belief system has a lot to do with how the soul reacts to death.

"This makes Japanese ghosts often a lot scarier and angrier than most western ghosts. Generally speaking, anyway."

"But what about that picture combined with everything else?" Mia asked. "The hotel, the monster, and that." She motioned to the camera. "What does it all mean?"

Robyn made a helpless gesture. "Beats me. They could all be related or none of it could be related. All of it was kept up in the mountains. It's possible that there's a naturally occurring swirl of energy that's kind of stuck. The mountains keep it trapped up there, unable to disperse and it's years and years of built up history all stacked upon each other.

"One thing I do know: This thing in the picture was not solid and the monster definitely was. Now, the monster's dead and this picture—as scary as it looks—can't hurt any of us. It's just a picture."

"It does feel like we're safe here," Cye admitted. "I've felt better the moment we arrived. Last night was fine and I'm sure White Blaze wouldn't be napping on the floor if there was something untoward lurking in the woods."

"It still begs the question as to whether or not we should go back there to make sure there's nothing else there waiting to prey on people," Rowen said.

"Not today," Kento insisted. "This is the last day left of our vacation and I would like to enjoy it. How about in a few weeks or something?"

Everyone more or less seemed to agree with that idea and the discussion was left at that.

* * *

Just because the weekend vacation had been cut short, didn't mean the summer would suddenly go away. Now that they were no longer up in the mountains, the temperature ran even higher. Mia's ancient AC system did its best to fight off the heat, but the thick Japanese humidity still got the better of them.

It was Cye's idea to make the best of their last vacation day by spending it at the lake near the back of the estate. Most everyone still had their swim suits—save Robyn, who was never all that excited to be in murky water anyway. She would have been happy to remain on shore, but Mia had other ideas.

Robyn sat on the bed while Mia presented her with a skimpy purple bikini that was little more than three triangles.

"No," Robyn said flatly. "In fact, that's a hell no."

Mia looked deflated. "What? Why? You'll look great in this."

Robyn eyed the barely-there top. "I don't trust that to do its job at all."

"And just what do you plan to be doing? You hardly swim."

Robyn sat in stubborn silence. There was no way Mia could persuade her to wear that thing.

"I'll see what else I have, hold on," the brunette relented. After a bit of digging, Mia produced a second candidate. It was still a two piece—light blue—but there was more material to it. The style was more modest and sturdy, like that of a sports bra. "I bought this in college and only wore it once. If you like it, you can keep it."

Robyn sighed. "Fine, I'll wear it."

* * *

Everyone else was already playing in the water when Mia and Robyn stepped onto the beach. Cye, of course, was far out in the depths of the lake. Every now and then his head could be seen breaching the surface. Even White Blaze was taking advantage of the cool water on such a hot day. He played with a sturdy rubber ball, carrying it in his mouth as he lolloped through the group, splashing everyone. Ryo yelled at him and chased him around until the big tiger flopped down in a shallow pool, tongue hanging out as he panted like a dog.

No one said a thing about Robyn's bathing suit and she appreciated it. She liked dressing modestly as it was more comfortable to her. The others were more concerned with tossing a blow-up beach ball around, trying not to let it hit the water. Robyn and Mia instantly joined in, though the former stayed in the shallows.

Kento, who was standing in the waist-deep water near Mia, began lunging for the ball before she could even get to it, which prompted the other guys to do the same. Robyn doubled over with laughter when Rowen and Regan started shoving each other to get to it first when it came their way, the former shamelessly using his superior strength and height to whack it away toward Sage or Ryo.

"Oh, it's _on_ , Hashiba," Regan informed him.

"Bring it, Sundari," he challenged.

She gut checked him with an elbow the next time the ball came their way, and when he still managed to swat it away before she could, the brunette nearly tackled him.

"Quit throwing bows!" Rowen laughed as he grabbed for her hands.

"Quit being such a douche canoe!"

"Impossible," Sage called.

Robyn giggled as a chorus of agreement from the other guys sounded and Strata delivered a rude gesture to Halo. The game continued for a little while, before everyone agreed a break was needed. Robyn happily went back to the sand and rested on a towel, lying on her stomach to feel the sun on her back. Regan dropped down next to her, giving one final glare to her boyfriend before slipping on sunglasses and reclining on her back.

The Ronins took their time leaving the water, as Cye was still making his way in from farther in the lake.

"Nice view," Mia said quietly as she joined the other two women.

Regan hummed in agreement, and Robyn blushed faintly as she, too, watched the guys joke with each other and trudge in the shallows, the sun adorning the bare skin of their chests, arms, and backs. Her boys had definitely grown up; it was hard not to watch them. Ryo laughed suddenly, bright and happy, and the redhead found herself mesmerized by the way he scooped his wet hair back from his face. He was grinning at Kento, the latter talking animatedly, his strong burly arms flexing as he gestured.

Cye joined them, but crept up behind Kento in a rush, clearly meaning to take him by surprise. Hardrock wasn't having it; he swiftly turned to the side and the two grappled, trying to the throw the other back into the water while the other three egged them on.

Mia grinned as Cye gave the more physically imposing Ronin a run for his money, sweeping Kento off his feet and into the water with a splash. Regan slid her sunglasses down her nose to watch them all, eyebrows raised. She winced when the larger man took Cye down, both of them using a startling amount of force that, she was beginning to realize, probably came from their status as mystical warriors. She had certainly felt a little of that strength when she and Rowen were alone.

Some concern must have shown on her face, because Mia addressed it. "This is pretty tame for them, but they're not holding back as much, now that everyone present knows about the armors. They're all stronger than they look. Well, except Kento. He is exactly as strong as he looks."

Regan looked at the woman thoughtfully. The puzzle of how Mia came to know the five of them had been solved over the past two days. She found it incredibly sweet that all five of them kept her included well after the war ended; that they all remained close, and still looked out for her and up to her. It spoke well of them, that a group of teenage boys had the foresight to maintain such a strong connection. And then to take in Robyn, too.

"I get it," she said to Robyn. Regan nodded her head in their direction, and the redhead smiled, understanding immediately. Rowen caught Regan watching them, and she made a show of looking him up and down with a smirk before raising her sunglasses again. He grinned, but for a second, it was a boyish, almost bashful grin as he looked down, but then he caught himself and it changed to an answering smirk. Okay, that was seriously adorable, Regan thought. She wanted to drag him back into the house for that little break in façade.

"Pretty as a picture," Kento said to the girls when the guys joined them on the beach. Before any of them moved, he grabbed his phone from the pile of personal belongings on one of the towels and quickly snapped a photo of the three girls, lounging on their beach towels.

"I was not ready for that," Mia said good-naturedly.

Kento glanced at the photo on his phone. Robyn's sunglasses were slouched on her nose and she was watching him with an unimpressed frown; Mia was propped on her elbows, grinning behind her at Cye; Regan had an arm behind her head, sunglasses firmly in place and paying him no attention as she stared in Rowen's direction. Oh, that was a keeper, regardless. He was sharing that with the guys later. "Then let's do another one. Get up, ladies!"

Robyn protested, Mia sighed, and Regan didn't move.

"One picture," Cye coaxed. "We should capture some good memories from this trip; what better way to start than with you three lovelies?"

Half the guys aww'ed mockingly, but it got all three women moving. Cye earned himself a kiss as Mia slipped her arms around his waist. Robyn sighed dramatically as she rose, her arms self-consciously around her bare mid drift. Rowen offered Regan a hand, and she took it. He pulled too hard, and she crashed against his chest.

"I saw that coming in my sleep," she told him.

"And yet you let me do it," he murmured.

Regan shivered as his fingers teased her back, trailing up to her shoulder blades. Their noses brushed, and she gave him a soft, brief kiss. He tightened his grip on her, but suddenly found himself pulled away by Kento.

"I need to borrow her for a minute, Ro, can you handle that?"

"Only a minute, Kento?" Regan asked innocently.

Everyone cracked up as Hardrock actually flushed for a moment, stuttering that he didn't mean it that way. The brunette bumped his shoulder lightheartedly before moseying over to Mia and Robyn, the former giving her a high five.

"You two are made for each other," Kento told Rowen.

"Don't I know it," he grinned.

Robyn wasn't comfortable posing for a picture in a two-piece bathing suit, and told Kento that she'd probably end up looking translucent in the photo. Regan hugged her waist and gave her a squeeze for encouragement, then poked her in the side at the right moment for Kento to snap a photo with Robyn laughing.

The girls coaxed the guys to pose for a photo, and Mia took it with her own phone, immediately sending copies to the other two. They all stayed on the beach for awhile, drying off and warming up before a second round in the lake. Someone played music from their phone, and the laughter and chatter that echoed around the lake was cheerful and almost filled with relief, as if they were giving themselves permission to temporarily put the last few days behind them and enjoy one another's company.

Water shenanigans started again when Regan said something snarky to Rowen, and he went to grab her. She scooted out of his reach, scrambled to her feet, and he gave chase down the strip of beach. She shrieked when he caught her and carried her, bridal style, to the water.

"Don't you dare, Rowen Hashiba!"

"You can get out of this, can't you?" he asked cheerfully as she squirmed in his arms, unable to wiggle loose in his steel-like grip.

"Help!"

"Use your Jean Gray powers," Kento called.

"Take him down with the Force!" Mia added.

"Oh, that's a good analogy," Cye said, completely unconcerned over Regan's dilemma. "Tapping into the Force. That fits."

"She did tell me once that she wanted to be a Jedi when she was little," Robyn replied. "She's pretty bummed that she never got a lightsaber out of the deal."

"Would you say that we're a little bit closer to the Avatar World, with the elements?" Kento asked. "Dude, I'm totally down with being an earthbender."

"Oh god, doesn't that make Rowen an airbender, like Aang?" Ryo asked.

Regan screamed as Rowen tossed her in the water with a splash.

"Rowen wishes he was an Avatar," Sage said.

Robyn glanced at the blond in surprise. "Sage, you watch that show?"

"Oh, oh, you let that inner geek slip a little, Sage," Kento grinned.

The redhead giggled as Sage pursed his lips. Simultaneously, Regan had resurfaced and sprayed her traitorous boyfriend with water. They didn't return to the beach until Rowen was as thoroughly soaked as Regan.

Robyn felt closer to all of them than she ever had before as everyone settled down again and she got to listen to them tell stories over things that had happened in the past few years that she'd never heard about. Mia and Cye talked about their wedding plans and invited her to come with them to look at a potential venue, which made her squee with delight. They talked about a tentative short weekend trip to Tokyo, so Regan and Robyn could do a little sightseeing and shopping in the city.

She was absorbed in a story Cye was telling when Regan nudged her on the shoulder. "You need to reapply some sunscreen, babe," she said, handing her the lotion. "Your shoulders are getting a little pink."

"Oh, thanks." As a matter of fact, her skin did feel dry and a little too warm. She continued to listen as she reapplied on her arms and face, then reached around to do her best to cover her pesky back.

"Need help?"

Robyn blinked over at Ryo, who was sitting to her right. His skin was bronzed gold in the sunlight, his hair deeply black and curling slightly as it dried. The sunglasses he wore looked ridiculously good on him. "I…sure." He smiled at her as she handed him the sunscreen. With an unsteady breath, Robyn turned so her back faced him. She jolted a little when his hands smoothed over her back, thoroughly rubbing in the sunscreen up around her neck, her shoulders, then down to her lower back. Her heart started to pound. He's just applying sunscreen, she thought, why are you reacting this way? Yet it felt…oddly good, too good, to have his roughened fingertips gliding over her skin. Ryo was being meticulous about making sure every inch was covered, firm as he rubbed it in. No man had put their hands on her this much before, even if it was completely innocent. She flushed and bit her lip when his hand snuck just underneath the sports bra-like bikini top to make sure she didn't burn along the edge of the fabric, either.

"All set," he said when he was done.

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, and took back the sunscreen without looking at him. "Um, thanks."

"Anytime."

Regan took the sunscreen from Robyn when she finished, aware that Robyn's cheeks were a little pink but mistaking it for a light burn. She motioned for Rowen to come hither, and the Ronin of Strata was only too eager to sit down at her side.

She took the initiative and applied sunscreen on Rowen for him. Not that running her hands over him was a hardship, despite him heartlessly pitching her in the water earlier. "Turn around, let me get your back."

"Yes, ma'am."

Regan took her time, enjoying his slow intakes of breath when she covered his broad back, then reaching up for his neck and biceps.

"Wouldn't want to see this porcelain complexion marred by a sunburn," she teased when she finished, dropping a kiss on the back of his neck.

"You are asking for it," he chuckled.

As Rowen convinced Regan to let him put some on her, despite her protest that she didn't burn easily, Cye stated loudly enough for all of them to hear, "Guys, before I forget, we have to schedule a tux fitting. Soon. Like next week soon. You keep putting it off."

A chorus of groans rippled through the group.

"Are you all telling me that Earth's mightiest heroes can't handle a little old tux fitting?" Mia taunted. Robyn laughed at the indignation on their faces.

"Hey, I've heard you complain about the dress alterations," Kento shot back.

"They don't even compare," Regan chimed in.

"Thank you," Mia said. "Can we at least set a date before everyone leaves? It would make me so happy."

Sage and Ryo agreed, and Kento sighed dramatically. "The things we do for you, babe. It's 'cause we love you."

Mia hugged Cye's arm with pleasure. Torrent was glad to finally no longer have that talk looming over his head. He ran his fingers through his fiancée's hair, brushing it back from the back of her neck. As he did so, a dark spot on caught his attention, right on the juncture where the neck met her shoulder. He thought it was sand or mud, so he swiped at it with his thumb, but it was still there. Frowning, Cye pushed her hair back further and took a look at it.

It was a circular symbol of some sort. Small; no larger than an American penny. A rune he didn't recognize was in the middle. It looked like a tattoo. But as far as he knew, Mia didn't have any tattoos, and he doubted she would get one without telling him.

"Love…did you get a tattoo?" he asked uncertainly.

"Hmm?" Mia took a moment to process what he asked. "No," she laughed. "Why do you ask?"

"You have…something on the back of your neck."

She reached up to scratch her neck and couldn't find anything. "I don't feel it, where is it?"

Cye pressed his finger to the mark. "Right here."

"I don't feel anything. Take a picture of it."

He did with his phone, and showed it to her.

Fear and anxiety fought their way into her voice as she studied this picture. "Cye, I don't know what that is. How long have I had this?"

"It's the first time I've noticed it. Granted, you've got all this hair covering it up, but I don't think you've had it too long."

The rest of the group crowded around, and the picture got passed around as Cye continued to inspect the back of Mia's neck.

As soon as Rowen saw the mark, he looked at Regan. "I thought you had a tattoo, too, because…baby, you've got this on your back." He ran his fingers over her left shoulder blade. The string of her bikini top nearly covered it and Rowen moved it aside. "Here."

Regan stiffened, while Robyn went over to look at it herself. Her eyes were wide as she ran her fingers over a mark Regan had never had before. The skin was completely flat and smooth, no difference between the normal skin and the mark.

"The skin's not even red or anything. It's like it's always been there," Robyn said.

"If Regan and Mia both have one," Rowen announced, looking at the redhead, "do you?"

Everyone looked at her and Robyn crossed her arms over herself at the sudden male gazes thrown her way. "Why don't you check yourselves out first before you start trying to undress me with your eyes," she protested.

Immediately, everyone began checking themselves and looking at each other. Like monkeys checking each other for parasites. The scene was almost comedic aside from the fact that that heaviness of fear was falling over them all.

Sage reached out and brushed back the thick black hair from Ryo's neck and found a mark that had been hiding underneath. "You've got one, too, Ryo," he said gravely.

Wildfire instantly slapped a palm on the back of his neck, but he couldn't feel anything different.

At that, Regan immediately pounced Rowen, looking him all over. He had nothing on his back or his neck, but she noticed a dark spot right into the hair line on his nape. There it was. Sage's was found soon after, also a bit into his hair line, behind his right ear. Kento's was similar, behind the left ear.

Regan attacked Robyn next, holding up all her hair to inspect her skin. Nothing. Pulling back the thick straps of the bikini top, Regan found the mark sitting directly between Robyn's shoulder blades.

"There it is. It's hiding beneath all this material you're wearing."

"What do you mean all this material?" Robyn protested. "I'm hardly wearing anything!"

"I'm still not finding anything," Mia said in a worried tone as she continued to comb her fingers through Cye's hair.

"He's gotta have one if the rest of us all do," Kento announced. "Right? I mean, why wouldn't he? We all got one."

"Marks we didn't have before we went up that mountain," Sage said gravely.

In light of the discovery, Ryo was suddenly loathed to have everyone outside, in the open, despite White Blaze nearby. "Why don't we talk about it inside?"

Everyone agreed to that, and they gathered their towels and personal belongings and headed for the indoors. Mia immediately shoved Cye into the nearest bathroom to give him a more thorough examination. She was determined to find that last mark somewhere on his person.

Meanwhile, everyone else was taking pictures of the marks on their phones and comparing them. Every one of them was the same size; a circle with some sort of foreign character that no one could identify. Rowen had already fetched some paper and was drawing out each one, labeling them by the name of the person who bore it and where it was located on the body.

"Robyn, we need a picture of yours, too."

The redhead instantly crossed her arms over her chest. The only way to get a really good picture of it was for her to take off her top.

"Come on, I'll get it." Regan grabbed her hand and led her to the bedroom where the girls were keeping their clothes. Since they were already there, they decided to change into normal clothes. No matter how hot it was outside, the fun time at the lake was over.

"I have no idea what this _is_ ," Robyn whispered as she looked at the picture of her mark on Regan's phone. "It's not kanji. It looks like a... rune or something."

Regan turned around when she was done slipping on her shirt. "There's no way this is unrelated to all the other weirdness we've experienced in the mountain," she said in an equally hushed voice. "Maybe it's _all_ related. Everything."

"Maybe. But we'll be okay," Robyn said firmly. "Rae, these guys aren't going to let anything happen to us."

"But what about them?"

"They won't let anything happen to each other, either."

Robyn said it with such conviction that Regan was in awe. The redhead didn't put her faith in others lightly. Yet, these five had all her faith.

When they stepped back into the main room, Mia and Cye had also come out to join them. The former looked somewhat put out.

"There isn't one anywhere," Mia was saying. "I have looked him all over. And I mean everywhere."

Rowen raised a curious brow. "Everywhere, Cye?"

Torrent just frowned. "I'm sure it's in there somewhere." He ran his fingers through his thick hair. "From the placement of the other marks, it's probably up here. It's just difficult to find with all this hair."

Mia looked about ready to assault him with a pair of clippers. "I covered every inch. I don't feel like I missed it."

"So, then, what?" Kento asked. "We all got one but him? Why is that way more messed up somehow than all of us getting one?"

"If Cye truly doesn't have one and the rest of us do, then it's a clue," Rowen said. His mouth was grim, but his eyes sparkled with intrigue. "Everything happens for a reason. There's a reason he's the only one without one. We just have to figure out why."

The rest of the afternoon was full of speculation. Even as they made lunch and sat around the table to eat, the group was constantly comparing notes. Was the lack of a mark proof Cye did something the rest of the group didn't, or did he not do something everyone else did? The problem was they had all done everything as a group while up in the mountains. Cye never went off on his own. Even when in his room, he was always with Mia and the two shared the same routine while in each other's company.

At the same time, Mia and Rowen both surfed the net on different computers, attempting to find any match to the marks. So far, their search had turned up nothing. As dusk began to creep in, they were still nowhere closer to figuring out the puzzle. Regan took note of both the sun setting and the fact that Ryo had been brooding out the window for quite some time.

She tugged on Rowen's shirt. "What's up with him? I mean, it know today hasn't been the best day, but he's pulling a Heathcliff on the moors over there."

Strata looked over at Wildfire. "Oh, that's just Ryo being Ryo. He's kind of the de facto leader of our little group. As such, he likes to think everything is his fault. It's just his way. You'll get used to it."

As he spoke, Rowen rubbed at his hairline, where the mark was. Everyone was hypersensitive to it now, often rubbing the spot on their bodies where their marks were. Regan and Robyn were the only ones who weren't. Mostly because theirs were a little harder to reach to idly finger while thinking nervous thoughts. Though Regan also noticed that Robyn would hunch every once in a while as if an invisible finger were poking her in the spine between her shoulder blades.

Sage approached Ryo at the window and the two stood together quietly for several minutes.

"What are we supposed to do, Sage?" Ryo finally spoke. "What if nothing else happens tonight?"

"You mean you want something to happen?" Sage countered.

Ryo sighed. "It seems almost preferable to nothing. At least we'll have something new to go on. At least there will be a reason for us to stick together. Despite these stupid things," he rubbed the back of his neck, "so far there's no sign of danger. That means tomorrow we're all just supposed to go back to our lives, our jobs. And we'll be split up from each other."

"I understand what you mean. And not so much us, I assume as you worry about the girls being by themselves." Both warriors glanced over to the group sitting around the living room. "To be honest, learning about Regan's abilities makes me feel much better about all this. We know at least those two will be looking out for each other should anything happen. _If_ anything happens."

Ryo returned his gaze to the window, his expression tight. "Something's going to happen. Something always happens."

* * *

"It's not going to be tonight," Kento announced to the porch, the darkness, and to Cye. It was Torrent's watch, but Kento was up keeping him company as they stood at the back of the house and listened to the symphony of the night insects.

"What's not tonight?" Cye asked as he leaned against the rail.

Kento shoved his hands in his hoodie pockets. "Whatever's going to happen. It's not going to be tonight. I can feel it. There's nothing out there. You can tell when something's brewing, when something's fixing to go down. There's nothing. Not here. Not tonight."

Cye chewed on those words as he gazed out at the lake, the water reflecting the light of the half moon. White Blaze's form could be seen creeping among the tall reeds, slipping by as silent as a ghost. All the ronins knew it; they had been doing this too long to be naïve to the ways of darkness. Though they were all safe under one roof, unharmed, this was not the end. Something was coming. They didn't know how or when, but something was going to happen. Not a single one of them believed it wouldn't.

"Isn't that the worst part of the job?" Cye asked with a heavy exhale. "The not knowing? The waiting for darkness to come to you? Something could happen tomorrow, or a week from now. Maybe even a year."

Kento looked at his friend. "I doubt it will take a year."

"Yeah, probably not," he agreed.

"It will wait until we've forgotten to keep our guard up. It will come at us when we're not ready."

Cye glared hard at the darkness. "Then we need to always be ready."

* * *

The day after ended the vacation. Everyone was forced to return to their homes and ready themselves for their normal lives. Plans were made. An intricate network of checks and responses required of all was set in place so the girls and the ronins themselves had someone constantly making sure someone else was okay and all was still quiet.

This continued for nearly a week. None of the strange marks had changed since their discovery. Cye still lacked one and there was still no good theory as to why that was. But life went on. There was still work to do and, more importantly, a wedding to plan.

A Friday afternoon found all five Ronin Warriors at a small rental store where they, as promised, allowed perfect strangers to measure all their lengths and widths for tuxedos. As such, none were too happy with the situation.

"Thanks for doing this guys," Cye said from the couch as he watched Kento and Sage get measured. Ryo and Rowen sat next to Torrent, waiting their turns.

"You know we'd only do this for you, pal," Kento said, giving a dubious glance to the man measuring up his inseam. Sage seemed far more comfortable with the process.

"I appreciate everyone taking the time. I know you're busy. Now I can finally knock it off the to-do list and Mia can stop worrying about it."

"As long as it's fast," Rowen said. He had one leg propped up on his knee, his foot jerking with restlessness. "I've got to go clear back to the university and check on some samples before I go home."

Cye furrowed his brows and then glanced at Rowen. "I thought your field was physics, not chemistry."

"Yes, but as you all know, I am a certified genius. I dabble in what I want."

As he spoke, Kento and Sage were dismissed and Ryo and Rowen were motioned up for their turn.

"Well, while Rowen dabbles, I'll be happy to buy dinner for everyone else as thanks for coming out." Cye paused to mentally consider his bank account. "As long as it's someplace cheap."

Sage took Ryo's place on the couch and immediately checked his phone. "While the offer is appreciated, I already have dinner plans tonight."

"Then say hi to your mom for me," Rowen said cheekily.

"You should do it yourself. She misses you," Sage replied, still looking at his screen.

"That's because I'm her favorite son. And if you're not going out with your family, and it's not one of us... Sage, do you actually have a date? With a woman?"

Sage glanced up from his phone.

"With a man?" Rowen pressed.

"With a redhead?" Kento asked.

Sage looked at him, as did everyone else.

"Hey, we all know the same people. It was just a process of elimination," Hardrock reasoned.

"Any specific reason for this dinner?" Cye asked.

"I'm sure Robyn appreciates having an escort so she can go out on the town safely now and then." Sage explained.

"I'm sure Robyn goes out on the town whenever she feels like it whether one of us is with her or not. But I'm also sure she's quite happy with anyone who buys dinner for her."

"Just doing my part."

Kento gave a thoughtful look to the blond. "Are you... interested in Rob?"

"No. But I do want to get to know her better while she's in town."

"Good, you should," Cye said with approval. "Take her somewhere fancy."

* * *

Sage stepped through the door, eyeing the little hole-in-the-wall restaurant. He had let Robyn pick the destination, but this was not what he was expecting. Even though the establishment was small, it was still clean and tidy. The two were ushered to a small booth and handed a pair of menus. Still, Sage perused the limited selections and dirt cheap prices with a dubious eye.

"Are you sure you wanted to go to a cheap, little noodle shop?" he asked the redhead across from him. "I'm paying. I can take you anywhere."

"This is where I wanted to go," Robyn answered with a pleased smile. "I've been craving this place all week. This is the only place in the whole city where you can custom order everything. Look," she pointed to the menu, "you pick your own broth, your own noodles, and then any other toppings you want. You have no idea how much I miss that from the states—having options, making something the way I like it.

"You go to even an American franchise like McDonalds and ask them for a number two but no pickles and the cashier first looks at you like you've grown a second head. Then, if you watch closely, you see the panic set it."

Sage couldn't help but chuckle a little.

"I'm serious!" she continued. "No pickles throws an extra cog into the machine and it all falls apart! In Japan, all orders are made the same way every time and you're not allowed to change them. You ask for an order, but with an alteration and they straight up don't know what to do. Whereas, any place I go in the US, you ask for no pickles and they know it's as easy as not putting pickles on the burger. Or, even if you make the order and then remove the pickles yourself before you eat it, people still stare at you. What is this country, Sage?"

She earned another chuckle from him. "But here, in this marvelous place, their whole deal is that you get to decide what you want exactly how you want it. And there's all these different possible combinations so you can have a completely different bowl of noodles every time you come in."

"I see," Sage said, taking another look at his menu. "Then I look forward to my first completely customized dish in a Japanese restaurant."

Even as he ordered, Sage didn't feel like he was allowing himself the full experience. He knew how he liked his noodles. He ordered the same type, no matter which shop he was at. And he ordered them the same way now. All the while, he was sure Robyn ordered herself something unique to this visit, something she hadn't tried before. And if they came here again, she would order something new and he would order the same.

This was how they differed as people, how they would always differ. Sage was precise, routine, and predictability. Robyn was spontaneous and haphazard in the way she seemed to fling herself through life. When they were teens, there was something about the nervousness in her mannerisms that put him on edge. Back then, he had not been aware Robyn had all the reason in the world to be nervous because of the beasts that hunted her. He had judged her for it anyway.

Now, he had a chance to do it all differently, he could break his routine of the unsettled feelings that came up around her. He could choose to judge less and listen more this time around. When the orders arrived and Robyn was noisily slurping her noodles, Sage said:

"Can you tell me more about your paranormal studies?"

Robyn choked a bit on her food, taking a few dainty coughs while she hid her mouth with a napkin. Then she paused and looked at him, studied him. They studied each other. "What do you want to know?" she finally asked.

Now Sage paused, asking himself what _did_ he want to know? If anything. A part of him was honestly afraid to ask. A part of him dreaded the risk of being sucked into her world. Then he reminded himself that Robyn was fully immersed in that world—possibly more so than ever now—and she still sat across him, unharmed, with bright eyes and smile. If she could survive, he could survive.

"Did you... learn these things merely for defense or do you actively look for opportunities to use it?"

"A little of both, I suppose. I don't really go looking, but sometimes I pass some place that's hard to ignore. I'll feel drawn to it, like it needs me."

"Needs you to do what?" Sage asked. His voice had gone soft, as if he were listening to a horror story.

"To fix it. To cleanse it. To make it better."

This was not the answer Sage expected. He recalled her mentioning she could repel darkness, but fix? Cleanse? He didn't consider she had the ability to improve on a dark situation.

"I'm sorry I keep asking questions. I'm trying to understand. Can you explain a bit more?"

Robyn thoughtfully slurped more noodles and Sage was grateful she didn't appear to be guarded or irritated with his curiosity.

"Well, for example, there was this building I kept seeing on my way to work. It was already old and creepy-looking, but it always caught my attention. I can't explain how things like that catch my attention, I just know. So one night I went down there."

"By yourself," Sage grunted with disapproval.

Robyn gave him a little smile that suggested his displeasure wasn't going to stop her from doing it again should the situation arise. "I went to the building and you could feel there was something wrong inside it. You, especially Sage, would no doubt be able to tell right away. There was weird writing on the wall, obviously the source. I could feel a dark entity there as well."

Sage clenched a fist under the table. Robyn noticed his posture stiffen and watched him with her own intrigue. His discomfort and the way he dealt with it spoke its own conversation to her.

"So I pushed it out," she continued.

The blond paused, as if not expecting such a brief end. "You... pushed it out."

"Yes. It's pretty much all I can do. Negative energy is like a bad smell. It will sit there until you air it out. You push it out, let in the breeze, and it goes away. Of course, it's not even a fraction of what you guys do, or what even Rae is capable of, but it's the best I can do."

Sage watched her for several moments, chin rested over his folded fingers. When they were teens, Robyn would always squirm under his shrewd gaze. Now, she was more confident in herself and less concerned with what he thought of her personally. She could patiently wait out his stare.

"Does it work the other way? Just like there are places that call you to them, are there things that are called to you?"

"Yes."

"Is that why you left us?"

Robyn breathed in deep. "Yes."

"To protect us."

"No, to protect myself. I kept trying to make myself believe I was doing it for you guys, but that wasn't true. It was all me." She looked down at her half-finished bowl and idly rotated it with her fingers. "I was a scared, dumb kid. I didn't know what was going on with me, but I didn't want to explain it to you guys until I figured out it. And maybe... I needed time to figure you guys out as well. I believed what you were but I did not know how to... fit that into my life. All I knew were victims and those who victimized." She barked out a laugh. Not a sound of mirth, but merely a ball of emotion that had no other way to escape. "I didn't know about heroes. I didn't know there was good that could fight back."

"You knew a little," Sage prodded. "You had your friend Regan."

Robyn closed her mouth, releasing a loud breath from her nose. "She was a lot like me when we met. We were both young and still learning that there were ways to fight back. But I only knew her... maybe a few months before I met you guys."

Intrigued, Sage leaned in. "And where was that?"

Robyn had to mentally stop herself. Her life was an open book these days. She didn't care what the guys asked about her past. Regan's past, however, was not Robyn's to tell. "In a bad place. A place where troubled kids are taken."

"Troubled kids with Regan's abilities?"

"A bit. I knew her long enough for her to help me get to Japan. And then, I knew you guys long enough for you to help me survive the monsters. And then, I knew I couldn't do that again. I couldn't just move on to the next person. I had to figure out how to help myself. And I could only do that alone. In all honesty, I'm still learning." She looked up. Her eyes smiled as they met Sage's. "But I'm ready to start figuring you guys out."

He smiled slightly at her, now the smell of his noodles reaching his nose. Sage picked up his chopsticks, hungry. "Me, too."

* * *

Mia had met Cye, Kento and Ryo for dinner sometime after the trip to the tuxedo store. The four had an enjoyable night together until Ryo excused himself even before dessert, explaining he had a very early morning and needed to get to bed. Kento stayed and the three talked long after the food was gone.

Kento and Cye especially got into nostalgic stories, some which took place long before Mia had ever met them. She enjoyed observing to the two of them laugh and reminisce. They were all having such a good time, they took the conversation with them back to the mansion. Kento brought up some old video games they often played as teenagers. Cye said he still had them at the house somewhere and the two went digging around in boxes, searching for all the consul's cords and attaching the out-of-date equipment to their new TV.

While the boys were occupied with their gear, Mia excused herself to the restroom. The mark on the back of her neck itched, as it did sometimes. She didn't think much of it.

* * *

Rowen jogged for a while before checking his watch, then he stopped and settled into a walking pace. Maybe if he sprinted with all his speed he would make the train. Nah. He'd walk and catch the next one; no big deal.

He had remained much later at the university than he planned to. Groups of engineering students were out late as well, playing with magnetic accelerators and gyroscopic propulsion systems in the lab. Rowen couldn't resist taking the time to check out and play around with the projects. This resulted in it being quite dark by the time he finally pulled himself away from the science.

Rowen's brain was still full of thoughts and figures, ideas for redesign and possible future projects as he swiped his transit card and approached the platform. He was so preoccupied with his own internal thoughts that it took him a moment to realize he was the only one around. Rowen had found himself in that odd twilight hour between trains. All previous passengers had boarded their train or stepped off and headed home. He was the first to arrive in wait of the next train.

That suited Rowen just fine. He was getting home a bit later than he planned, but he'd survive. He paced around for a few moments and then checked his watch. He was surprised no one else had come to the platform yet. The next train would be there in about ten minutes. Rowen couldn't remember a time when he didn't have other people around when waiting for the train. It was a very secluded feeling to be there alone. He had no idea this place, surrounded by concrete several feet below the surface, could be this quiet. He could hear the hum and flicker from the lights above, it was so quiet.

So silent were his surroundings that his ears picked up a faint hushing noise in the distance. It came from somewhere far down the platform. Heavy; almost like a dragging sound.

* * *

Mia sat on the toilet as she fiddled with her phone. It wasn't her classiest moment, she knew, but she had been waiting for a reply from a colleague at work and figured she might as well check her e-mail while she was thinking about it. The response she had been waiting for was at the top of her inbox and she took the time to read it, blocking out everything else as she concentrated on the information.

 _Red paper or blue?_

It wasn't so much that she heard the words with her ears. The words reverberated in her head, as if a second person lived there. The voice was raspy, foreign, and goosebumps immediately pricked the skin of her arms. Even thought she could clearly see no one else was in the bathroom with her, the area suddenly felt so much smaller, as if an unseen presence swallowed up all the space around her and was breathing down her neck.

The instant sense that she was in danger screamed in her ear and she abruptly stood, pulling up her leggings. She needed to get out of there; she needed to not be stuck in this room all alone. But as she tried to move away, invisible hands wrapped around her neck, pulling her back, choking her. That same voice was now outward and real. It rasped like dry leaves against her ear.

"Red paper or blue?"

* * *

Rowen peered far down the platform, narrowing his eyes at the darkness that leaked out from the tunnel. The lights didn't seem to be working so well from that end, but he could tell if there was someone standing down there. It seemed to be empty. Yet, the noise came from that direction. As he stilled and listened, he could still hear it, so faint. As light as a gentle exhale. But as he continued to listen, the sound decidedly grew ever more prominent and seemed to be getting closer.

Then, he noticed it. Not a vertical from like he was searching for … but there was something on the ground, still shrouded in the shadows of the darker part of the platform. When the thing was finally discovered, the noise became far more distinct. Rowen could identify it so clearly now, that heavy, scraping sound.

Drag. Pause. Drag. Pause.

From the poorly lit area, he could make out the shapes of matted black hair and pale, blue gray arms as the body dragged itself along the concrete. His heart stopped, and then jumped like a startled rabbit when Rowen finally realized what he was looking at. Then, he heard the sharp clicking sound of the long, haggard nails.

 _Teke teke._


	9. Chapter 8

**Urban Legend**

 **Chapter Eight**

Cye and Kento were still digging through boxes, trying to find the correct power cord, when they heard the scream. It was muffled, far away in the first floor bathroom. They were all the way in the storage room on the second floor. The noise managed to reach their ears and the distance and closed doors did little to filter out the absolute horror in that sound.

Ice poured into Cye's veins from that horrible cry. He knew Mia's scream when White Blaze tracked mud into the house and he knew her scream when she found a particularly gnarly spider. This was a life threatening scream of pure terror.

"Mia!"

He took off out of the storage room as if his feet had grown wings. Kento tried to follow after, tripping over several boxes on his way out. Cye was already leaping over the balcony to the floor below as Kento stumbled into the hall. In a matter of seconds, Torrent was at the bathroom door and found it locked as he yanked on the knob. The scream on the other side of the door cut off with a garbled gasp, as if she were choking. He heard heavy thuds from a struggle, making Cye even more desperate to get in there.

"Mia! Hang on!"

He shoved his shoulder into the door. When it offered no give, he gave it a mighty kick and the door splintered around the knob, cracking and breaking completely away. Kento had finally caught up by then and both rushed in to see Mia struggling against some sort of grayish foggy entity. It was roughly her size, but nearly formless as it stood behind her, strangling her neck. She clawed at invisible hands as she struggled to breathe, her bare feet kicking uselessly.

The entrance of the two warriors immediately caused the thing to retreat. Kento could have sworn he saw it slip right down into the toilet bowl to escape. Mia lunged for Cye, clutching his shirt and sobbing. Cye held her tight, noticing the angry hand-shaped marks on her neck. At least her cries made it clear there was no damage to her throat.

Cye tucked her in closer and pulled her out of the bathroom, holding her shaking frame. He looked to Kento and the two locked wide-eyed expressions. What the hell just happened?

* * *

"Bye, Sage! Come by anytime. I'm sure Robyn would love to see you again," Regan called from the door as Robyn walked inside.

Sage, already halfway back to his car, glanced back at the odd farewell. He managed to give a small smile and a wave before climbing into his vehicle.

"Laying it on a little thick there," Robyn commented as Regan shut the door and turned to her with a wide smile.

"Just letting him know he's welcome to take you out again any time."

Robyn shook her head. "This isn't going to work. You can't just make two people fall in love with each other."

"You won't know if you don't even try," the brunette retorted. "You two would make such a cute couple. And he _did_ ask you out."

"Are you aware that when we were teenagers he didn't trust me further than he could throw me? We're just trying to figure out how to be friends. Don't ruin it with your matchmaking."

"Fine," Regan relented. "Friends first." She grinned again. "And then more than friends later."

Robyn turned from her and started down the hall. "Ugh, you're awful. I'm going to shower."

* * *

Sage had his phone on vibrate during dinner. That is, until Rowen called him twice within five minutes. Sage didn't bother to answer. Rowen knew he was out with Robyn. He was probably calling to make a thorough pest of himself and Sage most certainly was not going to allow him to facilitate that bad behavior. The jerk didn't even text. He was really trying to be disruptive to their evening. When the third call came in, Sage turned off the phone.

He didn't turn it back on until he climbed into the car after dropping off Robyn, ready now to head home. As he was pulling onto the street, the phone he left in the cup holder beeped to let him know that while it was off, he had received a message. Then it beeped again, and again, and again. And again. Had Rowen been leaving him dumb messages all night long? Sage wouldn't have put it past him.

When he had to halt for a stoplight, Sage took the opportunity to check the messages. Rowen's voice did indeed sound on the first message, but instead of the snark Sage expected, the tone on the other end was hushed and labored.

"Sage, I'm at the subway station by the university." Rowen whispered, his breath heavy. "I'm alone, but... there's something coming this way. And I am not okay with that. If you could maybe pick me up..." There was a pause and a hitch of breath. "It's coming closer, it's looking right at me." In the background, Sage picked up a subtle clacking sound and then a strange hiss or a screech. He couldn't tell. Most of it was drowned out by Rowen's sudden loud scream and the voicemail ended.

Sage stared at his phone, heartbeat picking up in fear. The light turned green and Sage pulled forward, immediately looking for some place to park so he could listen to the rest of the messages without having to divert his attention to the road. Even though fear fluttered in his chest, he tried to rationalize the situation. There was still a chance this was all a prank. Even if something bizarre really had happened to him, the further voicemails on his phone indicated that Rowen certainly had survived whatever he encountered on that first message.

After locating a small lot, Sage pulled in and left the car running as he listened to the other messages.

"I don't... I don't know what that was." Rowen's voice panted; he was clearly running as he spoke on the phone. "It happened so fast! But it was like... I swear it was just like in that story. It's just like... a torso, dragging itself and—SHIT!" The message abruptly ended.

Sage moved to the next message.

Rowen's voice sounded a bit labored, but steadier and slightly irritated. "Sage, I think this thing is chasing me. I'm trying to find it, but it disappears. Then, I think it's gone and it just shows up right behind me. Could really use a ride here. Can you please answer your damn phone?"

The next message, Rowen's voice was suddenly in near hysterics.

"Sage! Why don't you answer your phone, you son of a bitch?! She had no legs! _No legs!_ " Rowen sounded somewhere between laughing hysterically and crying. "I need a ride! Answer your phone, you asshole!"

The next message was, surprisingly, from Cye.

"Sage, something came after Mia tonight."

Halo's blood ran cold.

"She's safe, but... whatever it was got away. I don't... we're still trying to figure out what it was."

In his pauses between speaking, Sage could hear Mia's hiccupping breaths and Kento murmuring to her in the background.

"As soon as you get this, come over. And call the girls. I got Robyn's voicemail and I don't have Regan's number."

There was one last voicemail from Rowen, but Sage didn't bother with it, opting to call Strata instead.

It rang twice, and then: "You _fucking asshole_."

"Where are you?" Sage asked simply.

"I called you two dozen times!" The blond Ronin took heart that Rowen sounded viciously pissed instead of afraid for his life. "I know you check your phone. What the hell—"

"Where are you?" Sage repeated. "I just got your messages. I'm coming to get you."

Rowen told him, and Sage put him on speaker to keep him on the line as he turned the car around for the station. He found Rowen a few blocks from a subway exit, hands in pockets and shoulders hunched. His foul mood was visible even from a distance. He yanked open the passenger door when Sage slowed down at the curb and scrambled in.

"We're going to Mia's," Sage told him before Rowen could begin to complain.

"No 'Rowen, I'm so sorry for not picking up my phone, like an asshole, while you were being attacked by a woman with no legs?'" Strata's voice was scathingly sarcastic. "And why the hell are we going to Mia's?"

"Something came after her, too," Sage said gravely, and Rowen's indignation immediately fell away. "That thing we were waiting for... looks like it's happening." As he drove, Sage quickly used his phone to dial Robyn's number and placed it on speaker as it rang.

After three rings, the call picked up, and Regan's voice said, "Robyn's phone. Can I help you?"

"Regan, is everything okay over there? Where's Robyn?" Sage asked.

"In the shower. Everything's fine, why?"

"Can you check?"

"Mmhmm." The line went quiet for a long moment, and then a door opened and they could distinctly hear a running shower. "Rob, you okay in there?" They heard the _shhink_ of the shower curtain being pulled open, and then a surprised squawk.

"Regan Sundari!"

"She's angry, but good," Regan said with a grin in her voice.

"Get out!" Robyn yelled.

Regan was laughing on the line. "Can I do anything else for you, Sage? Do you need pictures? I can send you some."

"Oh. My. God. Get out!" Robyn's voice screamed in the background.

"No, that's not necessary, thank you," Sage replied dryly.

"It might be a little necessary," Rowen said with a smirk.

There was the sound of the bathroom door closing and it was quieter on the other end. "Oh? Am I on speaker? Hey, handsome. How was class?"

"Good," Rowen said back after a brief hesitation. "Fantastic." He looked considerably calmer than he did before the phone call, although his tone was still off, and she picked up on it.

"Are you sure? You sound the opposite of fantastic."

"I... we've got a situation." He glanced at Sage, wordlessly deciding between the both of them not to go into detail and scare the girls before they had more information. "Some weird stuff is going on and we're headed to Mia's to try and figure this out. In the meantime, just lock your doors tonight. Don't go anywhere for the rest of the night, okay?"

Regan's earlier playful tone was nowhere to be found. "Yeah, we can do that. Stay safe and keep us updated, okay?"

"You got it, beautiful. Stay safe yourself."

After the phone call ended, Sage preempted Rowen's questions with, "I don't know anything more than what I told you, Cye just left a voicemail. I got to his when I was listening to yours. You both must have been attacked at nearly the same time."

"Son of a bitch." Rowen sighed explosively and dropped his head in his hands, rubbing his face and dragging his hands through his hair. "I don't know what Mia saw, but down in that subway... Sage, it was just like the story. Exactly like it."

"What story?" Now outside the city, the car's headlights swept over rice fields, tall grasses, and trees, moonlight reflecting off the water in the fields and getting absorbed in the thick, dense pockets of forest. Sage found himself tensing every time the road curved and his headlights sliced over the next road, as if he half expected to find something crouched in the center of the dark pavement.

"Those urban legends we read out loud at the inn. It was Teke Teke, Sage. I swear to God, it happened exactly as the story said it would. I was waiting for the train and the platform was completely empty. It's _never_ empty! That station is right in the middle of town! And then, I just saw this... thing crawling toward me. Dragging its body. This grotesque woman-thing that was just a torso with no legs. Talpa has nothing on this chick, she was so scary. And she just suddenly booked it at me _so fast_! No matter where I ran, she would disappear and then be right in front of me. Like at the top of the goddamn escalators, waiting for me." Rowen shuddered hard. "And she would just look at me and _grin_."

"And once you got to the street?"

"She disappeared."

Sage frowned to himself. The Koji manor appeared in the distance, and they both went silent as he parked by Kento's jeep. Hardrock must have heard them pull up, for he opened the door as soon as they ascended the porch steps.

"The circus has begun," Kento said tersely as he shut and locked the door behind them.

"I know, I had a front row seat," Rowen said as he stepped inside, raking his fingers through his hair. "I saw it while I was waiting for the train. Probably close to the same time it went after Mia."

"It caught you in the bathroom, too, huh?" Kento said.

Both Strata and Halo paused to look at him. "What, no. I was on the platform. And this legless torso came crawling at me."

"What. The. Hell?" Kento said.

"I know, right?"

"Mia was in the bathroom. Cye broke down the door, and this cloudy black thing had her around the neck. Then it just disappeared right in front of us."

The other two looked at each other as Kento led them to the living room. Mia sat on the big couch, a blanket wrapped around her shivering form, a white-knuckled grip on the mug of tea in her lap. Cye was protectively next to her. She gave a small, wobbly smile when she saw the pair.

"Hi, guys." Her voice was hoarse.

"Thanks for coming," Cye said. His attention only strayed from Mia's for what he'd intended to be a second, but he took a longer look when he saw Rowen. The Ronin of Strata was pale and only a few shaky steps above Mia in the visibly shocked department. "Something else happened."

"Yeah," Rowen said. "It's been a great night all around." He sat down heavily next to Mia and squeezed her shoulder as he did.

Sage knelt in front of Mia. The red marks were still visible on her neck, clear indicators that someone had tried to choke her. Sage's jaw was clenched but his hands were gentle as he tilted her chin so he could get a better look. Rowen hissed in sympathy at the wounds, now starting to bruise slightly. Neither missed the drying tear tracks on her cheeks. Her gaze was steadier, but she trembled under his touch.

"Can't seem to stop shaking," Mia said, laughing a little at herself.

"Kento's already done a sweep of the house and the outside," Cye told them, his arm wrapped around Mia's waist. He rubbed a hand soothingly up and down her back while Sage laid his hands over the red welts.

"Whatever it was, it's gone," Kento supplied, swallowing the words "for now." He was still keyed up, his anger and fear over watching something choke Mia having no outlet with nothing to fight. He felt likea tight rope, strung out so taunt he was liable to snap. "Went down the fucking pipes to who knows where. White Blaze has been patrolling outside and hasn't found anything, either."

A subtle, green glow emanated from Sage's fingertips as Rowen suddenly sat up in realization. "Wait a minute, the attack happened _here_? In _this house_?" He jumped to his feet. "That means this thing can just appear anywhere. We left Regan and Robyn in their apartment alone. They were in the bathroom when we were talking to them. And if this smoke thing travels by pipe—"

"That's not all there is to it," Cye interrupted in a low voice.

"It was Aka Manto," Mia whispered. She couldn't say the name louder; she felt, absurdly, like she'd invite him to come back by saying his name where he could hear her. "I heard it ask me: red or blue paper."

Rowen jerked both his index fingers at himself. "I got Teke Teke! A woman with no legs came crawling for me at the train station."

An uncanny silence filled the room as the weight of haunting possibilities ran rampant through all their imaginations. A creak from the kitchen made everyone jump and a white tiger prowled into the room, headed straight for Mia.

Sage was in the way, but didn't move until after he'd finished tending to her bruises. When he removed his hands, the marks were merely a bad memory. She ran her fingers over her smooth neck, feeling no irritated hot skin, no remnants of that…creature's hands wrapped around her throat. She hugged Sage, whispering a thank you. He squeezed her back, and then moved to give the tiger some room. Mia immediately hid her face in the soft fur while White Blaze purred to soothe her.

"So what does that mean?" Sage asked. "The two of you saw some sort of manifestation that mimicked the stories we told at the inn?"

"The extremely creepy-ass inn that suddenly turned into a dilapidated junk pile in the middle of the night," Kento reminded. "It was listening to us," he added in a paranoid tone.

"Not only that," Rowen put in, "Mia was the one who read the Aka Manto story and I read the one about Teke Teke. We were both attacked by the stories we read."

"So what is _that_ supposed to mean?" Cye asked. "Are we all going to have encounters similar to the stories we read aloud that night?"

"I read the story about Inunaki Village," Kento popped in. "The next day, we _did_ find a village, but it wasn't like anything described in the story. And nothing attacked us, other than it gave us the creeps and Mia came back with a gnarly photo. So how does that fit in?"

"Neither Robyn nor Ryo read one," Mia recalled, her voice still a little scratchy. "Regan told us stories from her own culture; she didn't read any from the book itself. I don't know if that makes a difference."

"And Mia read like four of them," Kento recalled, causing the brunette to suddenly pale at the idea of other characters coming after her. "Rowen read at least one other one."

"The other one was the story of the Gozu," Rowen recalled. "But it's not really a thing because the whole shtick of the Gozu is that if you hear the story of the Gozu you get so scared you die, but since no one can live to retell it, no one knows the story."

"Doesn't mean a creepy cow head still isn't going to come after you, bro."

Rowen looked a bit sick himself.

"What story did you read, Sage?" Kento then asked.

"I read about the Kokkuri-San. If you recall, it just talked about how to make your own ouija board and how to properly end the sessions or else misfortune and death may follow you. I don't plan on making one ever, so I doubt I have much to fear from it."

"What was Cye's?" Mia asked suddenly. "Baby, what was your legend?"

"Sadako," he answered gravely.

Kento snorted. "Shit, no more TV for you."

"Not funny, Kento."

"This isn't giving us any answers, only more questions," Rowen complained. "Since some of us read multiple stories and others didn't read any, we can't assume there's a story assigned to each of us. We also can't assume that the monsters we've encountered will only follow us. Kento could see Teke Teke next."

"Dude, don't even wish your bad juju on me."

"And what about the marks?" Mia asked. There was still fear in her voice, but, like Rowen, the intrigue of the mystery was getting the better of her. "What do they have to do with all of this?"

"It's possible it's a way for whatever this thing is to find each of us," Sage said. "It's also possible that whatever this is, it's neither Teke Teke nor Aka Manto, but something that decided to take these forms for some reason. We really don't know."

"These marks are driving me crazy." Mia suddenly stood. She was tired of being scared. Now she had the urge to act. "I feel like if I can just crack their meaning, it will help figure out what is going on, or what to do next. I'm going to take Rowen's sketches and the pictures upstairs to the library and pull out grandfather's ancient language texts again. I did an online search first, but I haven't had time to really dive into it." Her voice strengthened with resolve, the lingering fear in her eyes masked with determination—the need to _do_ something. "I'm making time tonight." Sleep would be impossible, anyway.

"I'll help you," Rowen offered. "But first I'm going to check on my girl."

"Has anyone got in contact with Ryo?" Sage asked while Rowen pulled out his phone and dialed.

"He's working, his phone's off," Kento replied. "We left messages, let him know what's going on. But his shift doesn't end until the morning."

"Regan, Regan," Rowen announced as she picked up her end of the call. He wandered off to the hallway as he talked to her. "Baby, you still okay?"

"Uh, yeeeeah," came a facetious response. "Why wouldn't I be? What's going on?"

In this, Rowen hesitated. If he told them everything and they weren't in danger, was he needlessly scaring them? If he didn't and something happened, was he leaving them unprepared to defend themselves? Suddenly, he badly wanted Regan next to him. But he also did not want her on the road—nor him on the road either. Despite Mia's attack in her own bathroom, being inside the house felt safer than the darkness of the outside.

"Something... happened—is happening. I don't even know how to explain it."

"Rowen, just tell me the facts. Don't leave anything out."

Rowen was good at many things. Lying was not one of them. He loved the truth too much, even if it was blunt or scary. The truth poured out of him, all of it. Everything he saw and experienced at the station, everything the others had told him that had happened in the mansion. And then all the different theories spewed forth. The rest of the group remained silent through it all, listening to it all over again as if answers could be pulled from the air as Rowen's words drifted in.

When he was finished, Rowen could hear two different female voices discussing quietly in the background. It sounded like Regan had put him on speaker at some point while he was talking. When they were finished, Regan's voice came clear on the line.

"All right, Rowen. We're glad everyone's okay. We're going to stay here and keep the doors locked as long as you promise you're not going anywhere tonight either."

"Trust me, no one wants to go anywhere."

"And in the morning, maybe we can all... meet somewhere?"

"Ooh! Let's get breakfast!" Robyn's voice sounded in the background.

Rowen smiled a little at that. "Sounds good. We'll go to that place down the road from your apartment. It will have to be early."

"I have a feeling we'll all probably be awake." Regan's voice went low. "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Me, too, babe. Don't hesitate to call if you experience anything out of the ordinary, okay?"

As Rowen ended his call, Cye put an arm around Mia. "Love, how about a change of clothes before you hit the books?"

Mia nodded and rose to her feet with him. She didn't escape the living room without solid hugs from Kento, Rowen, and even Sage. White Blaze trailed after them as they headed upstairs for Mia to change. When they were in the bedroom, she watched Cye pull out her favorite pair of lounge pants and paired it with one of his t-shirts. He'd vaulted the balcony to get to her, according to Kento.

"Some socks, too," he said, half to her and half to himself. "I can make more tea, there's enough honey left. Let me know when your appetite's come back; it sounds like it'll be a long night. I can make whatever you'd like."

The bundle of clothes was still in his arms when Mia launched herself at him in a hug, squeezing him hard and burying her face into his neck. "I love you," she said, her voice shaking with emotion. "How did I get so lucky?"

He swallowed against the lump in his throat. If she didn't know him, this never would have happened to her. How was she the lucky one? Cye pulled back to kiss her now smooth throat, softly, worshipfully, ending in a slow comforting kiss on the lips. "I promise you, I'm never going to let anything happen to you. Ever."

* * *

The air was gray, signifying the coming dawn, and Ryo was glad for it. He didn't actually mind graveyard shifts, and it was largely because he was awake to watch dawn break. He liked being awake and aware at the trembling edge between the end of yesterday and the beginning of a new day, when nearly everyone else was still asleep or just stirring. It uncomplicated things…especially when disaster struck. He could do his job, and worry less about innocent bystanders and interference.

The girl in front of him thought so, too.

"I'm so glad I was the only one on the road," she said. Her dark eyes were wide, glassy with shock. "If I had hit someone trying to avoid him…" her face crumpled, but she valiantly held back the tears.

"But you didn't," Ryo assured her as he carefully applied a bandage to her forehead, where it had connected forcefully with her steering wheel. "I wish someone had come down this road afterwards, so you wouldn't have had to sit out here for so long until we got here."

"It was a little scary," she agreed. "But I deserve it for getting tired and not seeing that little tanuki until the last minute."

"Hey, _everyone_ gets tired, especially that late."

"I can go home now, though, right?" She shivered in the slight chill of the early morning air, despite one of the ambulance blankets around her shoulders. "I was supposed to be home hours ago."

"We'll take you to the hospital first," Ryo said firmly. "You have a concussion, and I'm sure your family will feel better knowing that you had the proper tests done. A tow truck will be along soon for your car."

The only sound on the quiet country road, as the clouds in the sky were stained purple and the horizon bled red and orange in a straight, fiery line, was the idling of the ambulance's engine. The first car they spotted, headlights still bright in the weak morning light, was the tow truck.

"Oh, my jacket," she said plaintively when they spotted it. "And my phone charger. Can I get them?"

Misao shook his head firmly—she'd wobbled like a newborn foal when they got her up the incline earlier. No way was she going back down to her car. "I'll get them," Ryo offered.

Birds chirped and twittered in the wooded area around him as Ryo descended to the foot of the grove, down the grass slope that her car had crashed down when she'd swerved to avoid hitting a tanuki and met a tree. The hood of her car was crumpled like an accordion. She was lucky to be alive and in the shape she was in—her seatbelt and the avoidance of a head-on collision had done their parts. The driver's side door was still open, and Ryo slid in the seat, searching half-blindly in the poor light, then found and unplugged the phone charger. He pocketed it and stuck his head into the back to fish around for her jacket, finding it on top of a weekend bag. He decided to grab that for her, too.

He was pulling it between the front seats when movement from beyond the back windshield made him pause. Ryo stared into the gray-blue forest; probably a deer, maybe a fox, although it hadn't seemed terribly low to the ground. He didn't see any other movement, and shrugged it off as he left the car.

The absolute silence around him didn't register as he slung her bag over his shoulder. He shut the car door, startled at how loud it sounded; he could hear the ambulance engine idling, but couldn't see it well because of the incline and the trees.

"Got them!" he called.

"Oh, thank you!" The girl called gratefully.

Twigs _snapped_ in a series of loud cracks, halting Ryo in his tracks. He took a curious look around again, fully expecting a deer this time.

He saw nothing but the gray woolly air, the purple light beginning to penetrate the forest floor in the east as dawn continued its steady approach.

 _Crack._

There—he saw it now. Or at least, movement. A rustle of leaves, some twenty yards ahead. Ryo's heart started to pound, although he couldn't say why. It had to be nothing more than an animal, maybe a bear this time. It was early; they'd naturally be more active at this hour. Telling himself that helped him move toward the road, although he didn't turn his back from the source of the noise.

The sound of his own feet shuffling through the undergrowth made him realize what had been missing since he left the car.

He couldn't hear birds anymore. Not a single one.

In the total silence he heard the stirring, and then, the lazy drift of leaves shaken loose, tumbling to the ground.

The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as he scanned the trees, the low hanging limbs and gnarled branches. This time, the sound had come from _above_ him.

* * *

Mia felt the coming day's presence more than she saw it; she hadn't looked out the windows in hours. But dawn was there, in the way Sage began to move around the house, with purpose instead of the still presence he'd maintained here and there throughout the night; sometimes in the study with her and Rowen, checking on their progress, playing devil's advocate to Rowen's ideas as he bounced them off the blond warrior.

There wasn't much sleeping in the Koji manor last night. For anyone.

Kento, Rowen, and Sage had taken turns patrolling throughout the night, sleeping in catnaps. Mia was never alone, and when she had to use the restroom, Cye went with her. She was too relieved to not be alone, still too shaken up to be embarrassed. She threw herself in the search for answers to thwart the memory of those cold fingers around her neck, the rasping voice, the heavy weight of the thing that attacked her and cut off her air. It had taken all of her strength to loosen its grip long enough to get out the scream.

"Mia?"

She started a little when Rowen's deep voice registered. He was peering at her from across the table, pale and tired.

"Let's call it a night. Day. Whatever. We haven't found a single helpful thing, and it'll only get harder the more tired we get."

He was right, but frustration gripped her anyway. "So, we just wait for the next time? If there's a next time?"

"We'll be prepared," Cye called from the doorway. "Kento was right; it's started coming when we weren't ready. When we got comfortable."

"It came at me in the subway, Cye," Rowen argued. "In what's ordinarily a really public, busy place. There's no "prepping" for that."

"We'll find a way. We'll figure it out," Cye replied in hardened voice. "In the meantime, Mia, I insist you go to bed. I don't care if you sleep, but I want you to rest and close your eyes, okay love?"

Mia sighed as she allowed Cye to turn off her computer screen. Worse than not knowing when and how the next attack would come, was going to bed without any answers.

Cold sweat prickled along Ryo's neck as he tried to see what was causing the movement, but couldn't. Couldn't get a clear view. For a moment he thought he saw a flash of something pale and thin, like a tree trunk stripped of its bark, and then it was gone, rattling through the foliage. It sounded too large to be in the trees, too heavy for its weight to be supported.

The shuffling of feet distracted Ryo, and he whipped his head around to see Misao descending to him.

"Hey, what's taking—"

"Go back up to the truck," Ryo said. His voice was low and quiet, but the thread of steel and warning in it made Misao's eyes widen. "Get ready to go."

"What the hell is going on?" Misao asked, his voice hushed.

"I don't know," Ryo said honestly. "I feel like there's something out here. We should go."

Misao knew better than to argue with the look in his partner's eyes; he knew when Ryo wasn't screwing around. And he, too, suddenly became eerily aware of the silence of the forest. He fairly ran back up the incline.

Ryo went closer to the source of the noise, keeping his eyes trained on that section of the woods. His entire body was on edge, his senses clamoring in the face of potential danger. If this thing was dangerous, whatever it was, he couldn't let it get near his partner or that injured girl. Because he had the sudden, distinct impression that they were being watched. That _he_ was being watched.

Hunted.

His fists were clenched as his gaze fixated on a twisted mass of branches and moss, seeking out the thing that didn't belong, the unnatural presence he sensed. The sheer lack of noise from all the natural animals of the forest, while disturbing, proved that whatever was rummaging around—whatever had crept closer—was a predator to them, too.

Ryo almost considered climbing one of the trees to get a closer look when something shifted behind a curtain of leaves—from one limb to another. And another. Tree to tree.

It was moving. Towards him, and towards the truck.

And Ryo didn't need to see it to know it was _large_.

He couldn't engage it, he realized suddenly, not out here, not with two innocent people who could accidentally get hurt. Ryo broke into a run up the incline, and fear spiked in his heart when he heard it pick up speed above him, leaves whirling in the air as they were upset from their branches. As he was in sight of the ambulance, the light of dawn spilling over the pavement, he thought he heard labored breathing behind him, above him, and had the disturbing mental image of something dropping from the sky onto him.

Ryo threw open the back door, startling the girl lying there, and hopped in. Misao was in the driver's seat. He glanced to the back as Ryo slammed the door shut.

"Sanada, what the hell?"

"Just go," Ryo said sharply.

Misao didn't reply as he drove away. After double-checking their patient, Ryo climbed up to look at the rearview mirror. All he saw was an empty road.

It didn't make him feel any better.

* * *

It was a sleep-deprived group that met up at a small cafe early that morning. Regan and Robyn were already waiting for them at a long table. Clearly, the two had enjoyed a much better night than the rest of them. Ryo had not arrived yet, but texted that he was coming and that they didn't have to wait for him. A hot, delicious breakfast certainly did its part in putting all of them into a better mood by the time their last member arrived.

They waved him over as he stepped inside the cafe and looked around for his friends. Robyn brightly patted the extra seat next to her and there was already a plate waiting for him.

"I ordered pancakes for you," she said with a wide grin.

"Of course you did," he shot back. He was really never going to live down the pancake thing. Good thing he really did like pancakes and immediately began devouring them as if he hadn't eaten in days.

As they all ate, it was mostly Rowen and Cye, with Mia chiming in here and there, that filled in Wildfire as to what had transpired the night before. Robyn and Regan seemed solemn at the story, though they had heard it once before.

"What time did this happen?" Ryo asked.

"Quarter after ten," Mia replied. Ryo hated how hoarse she sounded. "I was checking my email, I remember glancing at the time."

"Rowen?"

The blue-haired Ronin blew out a breath, squinting as he tried to remember. His hand twitched underneath Regan's, and she stroked the back of his hand soothingly. "Oh, hell, why am I trying to remember—Sage, look at your phone. When did I start calling?"

Sage checked, scrolling through the missed calls. "Your first call came in at 10:05."

"So, what, they happen in pairs?" Kento's brow was furrowed; he scrtached behind his left ear.

"Too early to tell," Rowen replied. "One occurrence doesn't prove a pattern; if it happens like this again, than we can more definitely say that these will come in waves, but even then…who knows? There's no precedence for this."

Ryo opened his mouth, then shut it again. The ever watchful Sage caught him.

"Ryo, what?"

"It's nothing."

"Is it?" Halo pressed.

Ryo rubbed his face. God, he was bone tired. He really needed sleep before he felt capable of better dealing with this problem. "My last call took us out of town to a forest area. I was out there alone and I felt... watched. Maybe even hunted."

"By what?" Cye asked in a hushed tone.

"I don't know. I didn't see anything. I just felt like something wasn't right. I could hear it, it was big but...it was also so fast. And not just on the ground. Suddenly, it was in the trees, still moving so easily."

"Could have just been a troop of macaques," Rowen reasoned.

"Monkeys aren't this quiet," Ryo insisted. "It was one, big thing. And it was like everything else in the forest just went silent. We all knew there was something there that wasn't supposed to be."

"And that wasn't last night, that was this morning?"

"About two hours ago. Maybe 5:30 or so."

"And no one else experienced anything. So that possibly disproves our 'attacks in twos' theory." Rowen took a thoughtful bite of his breakfast. "Though, since Ryo didn't visually confirm what was out there, we can only make tentative assumptions about the whole encounter."

"One assumption is that what Ryo may have witnessed was not the same thing as the other two," Sage said. "Right now, there's the possibility of at least three different... entities of some kind that are out there. The only good news is, so far, they seem entirely focused on just us and not just other random people. I've been checking the news."

"Yeah, because we were the ones who went to that creepy village," Kento said with a frown. He paused as the waitress came over to refill coffees and waited until she left. "I think that's how we got these marks. All the crazy stuff started to happen after the village. We were marked because we went somewhere we weren't supposed to. And now we're being punished for it. Don't ask me why Cye didn't get one, but the rest of it makes sense."

The others seemed to agree. Ryo let out a loud sigh. Pushing his now empty plate away, he rested his head on his folded arms and shut his eyes. It had been too long since he had slept and how was he supposed to sleep now?

"I still feel like the marks hold all the answers," Mia spoke up. "If we can just figure it out. Rowen and I were up all night. We looked through all ancient Japanese writing, but nothing comes close to these symbols. Next, since our written language descended from the Chinese style of writing, we moved to ancient Chinese. We're currently trying to find any matches similar in pictograms or bone script."

"What do those look like?" Kento wondered. He could read Chinese, but he didn't know anything about his ancient ancestors using pictograms.

"Kind of like Egyptian hieroglyphs. This was before they developed a linguistic style of writing. I feel like we're getting closer, but nothing solid yet."

As Mia spoke, Rowen stood from the table, producing a large magnifying glass that he had been keeping... somewhere. "Speaking of which," he said as he approached Ryo from behind and brushed the hair back to expose his neck. "I need to take another look at one of these things."

Ryo jerked from his cold touch. "Why me?"

"Because yours is easy to see. Now hold still." Strata leaned in closer. "They're so intricate. It's like trying to read a novel written on a tiny piece of paper. It's like Smurfs tattooed their life history in one little circle. It's like—"

Ryo jerked an elbow back as Rowen attempted to stretch the skin as if it would better allow him to see all the answers.

"Rowen, leave him alone," Robyn defended, pushing Strata away. "Everyone's tired and no one needs your shit right now."

"Fine, fine," Rowen sauntered back to his seat.

Robyn patted Ryo's shoulder, then rubbed his back. In turn, Wildfire leaned into her, letting her drape an arm around him and rest her chin on his shoulder. He appreciated the gesture. It felt nice. So often he was the one everyone looked to, the one everyone expected to lead and protect. It was nice, for just once, to have someone protective of him. Even if it was just from Rowen's antics. And she smelled really good. He was willing to bet he did not. He couldn't even remember when he last showered.

"You know," Regan spoke up, "I wouldn't have even thought of this before, but when you guys told me about the Dynasty and all that, it really stuck with me that our dimension isn't the only one. What if the writing on these marks isn't even from our world? What if it comes from somewhere else?"

A chill swept the table. Even for those who had lived with knowledge of the Dynasty's existence for several years now, the thought of other worlds, of other _things_ , that could possibly exist out there was unsettling.

Sage was the first to speak, clearing his own throat to steady his voice. "Look, we're not doing ourselves any favors by giving ourselves the creeps with possibilities. What we need to do is go with what we know and prepare as best we can. I think we can all agree, this is probably going to keep happening."

"So, then what are we supposed to do?" Regan asked, a bit of irritation in her voice. "I'm not losing my job over this. I'm not going to stop going to work because something scary or dangerous might happen a day, a week, or a month from now. Whatever that thing is, I'm not going to let it do that to me."

"I'm sure several of us agree with this," Sage replied. "We're not disrupting anyone's lives unless we absolutely have to. Until we know more—until we have a solid idea of what we're up against and what to do about it, we build in a system of checks. We're not going to do anything differently; we're just going to stay in contact with each other. We keep each other updated on where we are at all times. We don't go out—especially alone—unnecessarily. And if any one of us sees something that doesn't seem right, we tell the others immediately."

"And we answer ALL phone calls, _Sage_ ," Rowen shot icily.

"I said I was sorry, _Rowen_."

"...you did not!"

"Cool, group text chat room it is," Kento said, already pulling out his phone. "I'm adding all of you right now."

"I'm going to keep researching," Mia said. "I know it's not much, but I feel like I'm going to go crazy if I don't do something."

"All right." Ryo announced as he lifted his head. "We'll just take it one day at a time and do the best we can to stay safe. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going home and going to bed. I'll text you guys when I get there."

* * *

Days passed. Nothing out of the ordinary happened, although everyone remained on edge. Mia could feel it in every conversation she had with one of the guys, although not so much Robyn and Regan yet; if they were worried, they hid it well. Perhaps it didn't yet feel real. It barely did to Mia, more like a terrible nightmare she'd had…except when she had to use the bathroom. Or shower.

The first time she tried showering alone, she'd started trembling with fear any time the shower curtain fluttered. She'd called Cye to come inside while she finished. She found herself holding it until morning if the need to use the bathroom woke her up in the middle of the night. She knew Cye would just come with her, but she hated waking him.

Then the day came when she was at work, it was an hour before her shift ended, and she had to pee. She'd been able to use the bathroom once before, because it was in between classes and she was in a busy part of the school; there'd been half a dozen girls in there, and the amount of noise and laughter distracted her enough that she'd been able to go in.

But not today.

Mia was in her office, and her whole department was quiet. It was late, in that hour after early evening classes ended and most students had gone home, along with professors who preferred teaching earlier classes. She'd stayed to use the university's extensive resources to do a little research, and lost track of time.

You can hold it until you get home, she told herself. It's not a big deal.

Yet she'd stumbled on some interesting accounts of villages in the era Mia thought sounded about right, for the age and look of the Shinto shrine they'd found in the mountains. She wanted to keep reading. But she _really_ had to go. And the nearest bathroom was sure to be empty this time around. Empty, and waiting for her to go in alone.

Mia bit her lip, hating that she was too scared to go into a public bathroom, for crying out loud. You've faced down warlords, and now you're afraid of a bathroom?

"This is ridiculous," she said to herself, standing up and leaving her office for the restroom down the hall. She stopped in front of the door.

 _Red paper or blue?_

She closed her eyes and shuddered. Mia's hand slid into her pocket for her phone, and she dialed.

"What's up, Mia?"

"Can you come down here for a minute? …I need a favor."

* * *

The bathroom was empty, like she feared, but now the door was propped open. She did her business quickly, flushed the toilet, and washed her hands. Mia crept back out and spotted the Ronin leaning against the wall, arms crossed, his head tilted to the side as if he'd listened the entire time for anything unusual.

"Thank you for doing this," she said, embarrassment coloring her cheeks, as it had when he first came down.

Rowen smiled. "Anytime, Mia."

"I feel so silly."

"Don't. It's really not a big deal. All you need to do is text me, I'm like a five minute walk away. You could even say it in code, if it makes you feel any better. 'Hey, I have to deliver a package.' 'I have to pay the water bill.' 'I have to go water my horse.'"

Mia laughed as he walked her back to her office. "I'll be sure to do that. It's just…" She scrubbed at her face. "Please don't tell Cye. He's worried enough as it is."

"Listen, I'll make you a deal. A pact. I'll be on pee duty, and you let me know whenever you need me to come down, and I won't say a word to anyone. But I need a favor, too."

Mia regarded him suspiciously. "What's that?"

Rowen grinned crookedly, barely hiding the unease in his own dark blue eyes. "Can I get a ride home? I don't ever want to go to that station again."

She stood on her tiptoes to hug the Ronin of Strata around the neck. "Of course you can."

* * *

"Goodnight, sensei!"

Sage waved to the last student as she headed out the door with her mother. His last class of the evening had gone well; he was pleased with the progress of most of his students, with only a few stragglers he was considering inviting to a weekend session to help them get caught up.

He put away the equipment and all the mats except for what he'd need for himself. Sage used the opportunity an empty dojo presented to go through a few katas, letting the familiar movements center him and help him achieve the calm the last week had disrupted. Burn off some of the negative energy that had gathered while they waited.

He hated this waiting.

When he finished, Sage changed and retreated to his office to finish some paperwork. He annoyed himself when he found his hand straying to his hairline as he worked, rubbing the spot where they'd found his mark. It was well past dinner time when he finally grabbed his keys and headed out, locking up behind him and walking across the parking lot to his car.

When he turned the ignition key, however, nothing happened. Not a single noise; no grinding, revving, rattling. Nothing. Sage mentally checked the age of his battery. He hadn't even hit the two-year mark yet. There was no reason the car should be this dead. Unfortunately, he being the last one at the building, there was no one else to ask for a jump. He was going to have to take the bus home.

Before stepping out, he remembered his part to keep everyone updated on his situation. The entire group had been good about that so far. Sage refused to be the one who set the poor example. He texted his car had died and he was taking the bus home. The closest stop was only three blocks away, he should be fine.

Kento texted back, asking if he wanted to come to the restaurant—which was closer than Sage's house—to wait for him to get off shift and then he would take Sage back to his car for a jump. That sounded like an even better idea. Sage told him he would be there soon. When he was finished, he sat for a moment longer in his car. A part of him knew this was risky. Anything could happen out there between here and the restaurant. But then again, anything could happen in the two hours he'd be alone in the building or in his car if he chose to wait for Kento to come get him. He had already been pressing his luck by staying to do paperwork.

He had done that because he was getting careless. When they got careless, that's when it seemed the attacks came. He had to get smart, be on alert. He had to get to people, even if it was just a random crowd. These creatures seemed to prefer attacking when they were alone. Even if he could make it to another business or a crowded bus, anything was better than being here by himself. So Sage took a deep breath and climbed out, sharp eyes aware of everything in all directions as he proceeded down the sidewalk.

He wasn't in a busy part of town, but a few cars passed by, as well as a group of pedestrians going the opposite direction on the other side of the road. Up ahead, a couple, speaking happily with each other, walked toward him and Sage inwardly appreciated their company up until they passed and he could no longer hear their voices.

One more block to go. The area had gone quiet, but he was close to the bus stop. Behind him, he became aware of someone coming up the sidewalk in the same direction as he. He heard the clack of heels on the concrete and a quick glance back confirmed a woman walking behind him roughly ten paces back. She was tall and thin. Long black hair. If Sage had to guess from the eyes, he would assume the rest of her face was attractive, but it was hidden with a white surgical mask. Sage didn't think much of it. Many people wore them out in public, especially during the flu seasons in attempts to avoid catching sickness or spreading the sickness to others. Maybe this woman had a summer cold and would rather keep it to herself.

Up ahead, the street light stood tall over a covered bench. He was here and the bus would be arriving shortly. Sage had made it. Once under the streetlight, he opted to stand as he waited for the bus. A few moments more and the woman was under the light as well. She slowed her pace as she approached the bench, seeming intent to wait for the bus, too. Sage merely glanced her way before continuing to keep a sharp eye out on the rest of the city.

He wasn't even aware the woman had moved to his side until he heard her speak.

"Do you think I am beautiful?"

The sudden words, the woman so quickly in his space, caused Sage to take a step back. Simultaneously, the hairs on his arms stood at attention as he felt the uncanny sensation of being next to something that wasn't completely normal.

"What?" he managed to get out, his brain racing to find meaning in why this woman would ask him that.

She reached up to her mask and pulled it down. "How about now?" Her mouth was split, as if by a sharp blade, nearly from ear to ear. She grinned at him and the full mouth stretched open, revealing an impossible amount of needle-like teeth.

Sage's mind was still trying to process what was going on when the glint of metal in the light caught his eye. He jerked back as she swiped at him, a scalpel in her hand. Her eyes had gone completely black. Not even her skin looked human now. Her arms seemed too long for her body, extending her reach as the blade sliced at him again, just barely missing his throat. Sage stumbled back, nearly tripping over an uneven crack in the sidewalk.

Right then, his fighting instincts kicked in. He solidified his stance, head low. He didn't dare look her in the eyes. It felt as though those black, soulless voids would be his undoing if they ever caught his gaze. He would be frozen in fright, too scared to move. He would die.

Each of the inhumanly long arms now held a blade and she made a high-pitched hiss—a sound that weakened his knees. He was scared to death. But he knew the flow of battle. One swipe at his neck, then a stabbing motion towards his sternum. He grabbed the creature's wrist with one hand, clutching the arm for leverage with the other. Beneath his hold he felt fine, birdlike bones under leather skin. His fingers felt the skeletal system pulsate, _move_ , as if the fibrous skeleton were constantly changing. It made him sick to his stomach as he flung her over his shoulder and as far as he could away from him.

For a split second, Sage was distracted by the friendly honk of the public bus as it rumbled to a stop. Still breathing hard, eyes wide, he scanned the area for danger, but the woman-thing had disappeared.


	10. Chapter 9

**Urban Legend**

 **Chapter Nine**

The restaurant was roughly halfway full that night. Kento managed to notice that Sage had arrived and sat himself in an empty booth at the far corner. He was facing the wall. When Kento found a free moment, he went over to offer a greeting.

"Hey Sage, you hungry? Want to grab a bite before we jump your car?"

No response from the blond. Kento moved closer to see his friend's face.

"Sage?"

Sage stared at the wall with the most haunted look on his face Kento had ever seen. Eventually, Halo swiveled his eyes in Kento's direction. He looked pale, even for Sage. Kento knew right away something had happened.

"Sage, what did you see?" Kento asked lowly as he sat in the opposite side of the booth.

"Her face had been cut," Sage relayed in an airy voice, his vision focused somewhere far away. Then he looked at Kento. "She asked if I thought she was beautiful."

Kento didn't know what to say. He had no idea what Sage was talking about.

* * *

"That's exactly like the legend of the Slit-Mouthed Woman," Mia said as she thumbed through her book of ghost stories and urban legends. "Though the legend usually says she carries scissors, not a scalpel." She and Cye were Skyping on their laptops with Kento and Sage later that night. Hardrock had opted to go home with Halo and stay the night, just to see if anything else would happen.

"That's not one of the stories we read that night at the inn," Kento pointed out. "So much for the theory that all the stories we read back there are coming alive."

"Just urban legends in general," Cye mused with him. "It makes you wonder if this isn't a new type of phenomenon. I mean, these stories had to come from somewhere. Maybe these _are_ the monsters from the stories."

There was a heavy silence as everyone let that idea sink in.

"Whatever they are, we need to find out what they're after," Sage said.

"Us seems to be a pretty good start," Kento replied. "Sage said his car was dead, but when I brought him back to the parking lot, it started right up. That thing had something to do with it. It was trying to get Sage alone on the street so it could attack. We know they're after us, we just don't know why."

Mia checked her phone. "So far, everyone else still seems fine. Rowen says he's staying with the girls tonight to be on the safe side."

"Of course he is," Cye muttered.

Mia gave him a playful nudge in the shoulder. "Stop. You're happy one of you is there to keep an eye on them."

"We should do more of keeping an eye on each other," Sage said gravely. "I know it's going to be difficult, but we don't know when these things are going to attack again. We don't know how many more of them there are or how powerful they can be. So far, we've been lucky. Luck can't keep us afloat forever."

Kento frowned at him. "Thanks, Sage. I feel better already."

* * *

Robyn poked her head into Regan's room and frowned at the scene she found there. Regan had asked Rowen to help her clasp her necklace as she readied herself for work. That request had morphed into soft murmurs and a cuddle session, with Rowen kissing her neck and shoulders from behind. Regan leaned into him, making soft noises of approval.

"Oh my gosh you guys!" Robyn barked at them. "Can we go five minutes without you two canoodling? It's time to go! I've got to get to work!"

The two peeled themselves away from each other as Regan called, "Sorry, we're coming," when Robyn stalked off down the hall. Moments later, everyone was ready to leave. Rowen smirked at Robyn as she held the door open for the other two. The redhead gave him a barely tolerant look.

Rowen had been practically living with the two of them for the past few days. For their protection, he said. Though maybe for a bit of his own as well. After his encounter with the half-body woman at the station, Strata was a bit more jumpy than normal. At first, Robyn didn't mind it. It was nice seeing so much of her friend. The couple was even beginning to give the time of day to normal people once in a while. Though as the days went by, Robyn grew sick of looking at his face. She wished she could submit a request to swap him out for any one of the others, just for a change of scenery.

As of now, the three carpooled; Regan dropping the other two off at work in the morning. Even though Regan said she wouldn't mind going all the way to her work, Robyn insisted escort to the train station was good enough. After all, she wasn't the one who had the teke teke after her. Rowen was then taken to the university. Either Regan or Mia would take him back to the girls' apartment afterward. So far, it was a setup that seemed to work well for everyone.

"Bye, handsome, have a good day at work," Regan cooed as they quickly kissed.

"You, too, gorgeous. I'll see you tonight." As Rowen left for the campus, he couldn't help feeling a certain high at saying those words. It was nice to come home to someone, even if it wasn't his home and the whole arrangement was brought out of caution. He still greatly enjoyed himself, sharing his personal life with his new girlfriend. If he wasn't careful, he was going to get used to this.

First thing in the morning was the only physics class he taught in the summer. And today was a test day, allowing him a nice, quiet hour to play on the internet while his students sweated over their papers. Rowen was doing just that—pretending he was doing important work, when he was really looking at funny pictures online—when a noise caught his attention.

He had left the door to the lecture room open. During the summer, the halls were silent between classes, hence no need to close it during a test. Even then, perhaps Rowen would have never noticed the sound if his previous encounter at the train station hadn't made him so sensitive to it.

Though he was thoroughly into his goofing off, his body reacted before his brain fully comprehended the noise. The hairs on his arms stood at attention as he then noticed the dragging sound that reached his ears.

Drag. Pause. Drag. Pause.

He looked up at his students for the source, heartbeat picking up. They all had their heads down, working diligently on their math. No one seemed to be the source of the sound. While his eyes were on them, the dragging sound found his ears again, drawing his attention to the door.

His haste to stand and move to the door caught the attention of a few of his students. They watched him curiously, wondering if they should be alarmed. Professor Hashiba wasn't acting normal. His movements were too tight, his eyes too wide.

"Professor?" one of the students called softly, questioningly.

Her voice didn't register. As he neared the door, the dragging sound was more prominent. Then Rowen heard that horrible clacking of nails, the scratching on the hard tile floor of the school. Half consumed with fear, the other half full of protective instincts for his students, Rowen shoved his head into the hall without hesitation. The sound ceased instantly. The hall, up both directions, was completely empty.

Rowen closed the classroom door; his body had developed an uncomfortable sweat. A few pairs of eyes were still on him as he walked weightlessly back to his desk and sat down, his face pale.

* * *

Days working the restaurant were always busy, but Kento attempted to check his phone every hour or two just to keep track of the group chat and make sure everyone was okay. It was the first sign of a lull after the lunch rush when he was able to slip to the side corner of the kitchen and check his phone.

Rowen had typed in that he had a bit of an eerie feeling. Thought he heard something, but no visual confirmation. Perhaps it was just his nerves. Regan said she would be by immediately after work to pick him up and take him home so she could "protect him", as she put it. Regan's attitude toward the whole thing had been more of an optimistic caution. Though Kento thought maybe she could afford to be after she had slammed a giant snake monster into the wall multiple times.

Other than Rowen's paranoid encounter, everything seemed to be quiet on all fronts. Kento was a little relieved that, so far, he'd been spared a run-in. He was much more comfortable running to someone else's rescue than being the one in need of it. He shrugged the thoughts away and was about to go back to work when something niggled at the back of his neck. Like tiny, hair-thin spider legs teasing his skin. He was nowhere near being alone in the kitchen, even though he had moved to the back corner. He could see the staff bustling about and the waiters running back and forth from the pick-up counter. So why this uncanny feeling that there was suddenly so little space around him?

The muscles of his shoulders bunched up as if a ghostly hand had caressed him there. It felt as if his heart had completely stopped when he slowly turned around and eyed the ceiling. There it was, eating up all the space above him, only a few feet away. Spider. So. Much. Spider. Big and reedy at the same time. Legs, bloated spider abdomen and...a torso. A woman's topless torso and arms. And a head, perched backwards on the neck, staring right at him.

A dried, bone-like spider leg tapped a pipe on the ceiling as the two stared at each other. She saw him, he saw her. No one else seemed to be aware of the abomination on the kitchen ceiling. Then, Kento walked straight out of the kitchen, phone still in hand as he stepped out the back door. In the tiny alley at the back of the building, still wide-eyed and numb, he dialed Cye's number.

* * *

Cye picked up his phone when it vibrated in the pocket of his shorts. He usually kept his cell in a locker, away from the water, but lately it seemed like a good idea to keep it on him. A group of interns were taking some blood samples from a dolphin and he stepped away from them to answer the call.

"Hey, Kento, what's up?"

"Cye, I just nearly shit my pants," came the frank response. "A brick. In my shorts. Holy God and Buddha."

"What are you talking about?"

"There is a spider in the restaurant. In the kitchen. A giant spider body attached to a lady and her head's on backwards and she was looking right at me."

Cye could hardly wrap his brain around this. "Wait. A what? I don't understand, Kento. What are you talking about."

"CYE, THERE IS A MONSTER SPIDER WOMAN IN THE KITCHEN!"

Torrent instantly pulled the phone away from his ear as Kento screeched at him at a higher octave. "Are you okay? Where are you?"

"Outside, in the back."

"And you just left? Are there people in there?"

"...yes..."

"Kento."

There was a plaintive whine on the other end. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Kento, you can't just leave it in there with people!" Cye had to fight to keep his own tone down.

"Don't make me go back in there."

"Kento."

There was now a definite whimpering sound on the other end. "Okay, I'm going to... take a peek. Just know that whatever happens after, I'm blaming you."

On the other end, Cye heard the metallic squeal of the door's hinges and then the background din of the busy kitchen. No screaming, no sounds of horror.

"It... I think it's gone," Kento said with wonder. "How did it even—it was right above me, Cye, just hanging on the ceiling. No one else saw it but me! And now it's just gone? What the hell is going on?"

Even though Kento sounded angry, there was clear relief in his tone. Cye also let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "I don't know, but come stay at the mansion tonight, okay?"

"No problem. There's no way I'm sleeping here. Maybe not ever again."

* * *

It was entirely too hot out for a hardhat.

Regan had pulled her hair back in a ponytail to get it off her neck, but her skin still prickled with uncomfortable heat from the boots, brightly colored vest, and hardhat she had to wear while on site at the apartment complex. The sultry air inside and out of the half-formed building was so humid and muggy that a body could wring it out like a washcloth and drip water on the bare concrete.

It was her team's fourth field visit to the site. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems for the individual apartments—systems designed and worked out by every member of the team long before the majority of them even arrived in Japan—were efficiently realized by the construction team, based on their latest inspection. The client, though, had recently changed his mind on the lighting structure for the main lobby and requested a few changes that required an overview of the budget, and Regan was studying the iPad in her hand as she worked on those calculations while the team conversed around her.

Halfway through getting her boss the estimate he needed so they'd know whether this request was a pie in the sky dream or actually doable—Rae bet on the former—she winced when she realized she'd left the office without checking in and texting the group of her change in location. Rowen and Robyn had gotten on her case about forgetting, especially if she ended up staying at work late and one of them was expecting her. Ah, well. She was with over half a dozen people and they were in broad daylight; hardly a prime opportunity for something to attack her. Besides, the extra talent she had took some of the fear out of an encounter. If anything, she could stall to get away as she'd done with the Naga. She'd text everyone when they were leaving the site.

"I wish these changes had been requested when we, you know, asked for them three weeks ago," one of her coworkers—brought in from the firm's London office—muttered to himself, the sarcasm more pronounced with his British accent.

"We must always be prepared for setbacks," Regan's boss gently admonished. Sota Arakida was a patient, brilliant man that she adored working for, and he dealt with an international, eclectic team with a paternal-like authority. "Regan-san, how is the estimate looking?"

"Not in the client's favor," she admitted, her eyes on the tablet as she filled in the last of the calculations for the estimate. "We simply don't have the budget for the additions they want in the solarium, unless they're willing to allocate funds from the rooftop garden and decrease its size."

"You don't look as if you approve of this."

"None of us do," Hiyori, one of the local Japanese engineers and a coworker Regan greatly enjoyed, chimed in. "The gardens were meant to give residents an opportunity to grow their own food and increase the sense of community; the solarium is just a pretty place to sit."

"But the glass lowers energy consumption," her London coworker argued.

"And could also create a green house effect and increase air conditioning costs," Regan countered. "Which can be avoided, but that will use more of the budget funds; not to mention that a redesign of the rooftop garden, at this stage, will put us over deadline and delay completion."

"Put all of that in the report," Sato told Regan. "Detail each new proposal, and make sure he is aware of the changes to cost and time. Submit the outline to the team by Friday." She nodded. "Hiyori, you mentioned had an idea for an adjustment to the garden?"

"Just some thoughts, if he's stuck on this last minute change and we can't avoid a redesign. Because he has no concept of what a deadline is and how budgets work," she muttered, making Regan smother a smile.

"Let's go to the roof and have a look, talk it out while we're here."

In order to get to the roof, they had to trek to the one working elevator the construction workers used, located near the half-built solarium. Their walk took them past a row of apartments, the walls built but bare, still lacking doors and glass in the windows. As they trooped down the hall, Regan's gaze wandered to the inside of each apartment, the subfloor plywood base of the floors and the naked, plywood walls. One empty future home after another.

Regan did not realize that the group had pulled ahead of her, that their voices had faded to echoes, until she saw the figure in one of the apartments.

She stopped walking, tablet in lowered hand. Her coworkers' voices were muffled now, as if her ears had filled with water.

There was a girl in there. In the corner, facing the wall.

A squatter? That was so dangerous. No one should be in this building. There were so many ways someone could get injured, especially at night; the electricity wasn't working yet. Regan stepped into the apartment, the broad square of daylight from the window making her squint and lose focus on the girl for a moment.

"Excuse me," she said, softly to keep from startling her. The girl's long, black hair looked matted and stringy. She was hugging herself with thin arms, and wore a dirty white t-shirt. Her head was bowed, and Regan couldn't see her face. Why was she facing the wall? Was she afraid, now that she'd been caught? "Hey, I'm sorry, but you can't be in here. It's not safe. Why don't I take you outside, we can call someone for you or…"

Regan gently touched the girl's shoulder. She turned, then, to look at Rae, but there was no—

There were no eyes, no lips, no nose. The girl had no face. She seized Regan's arm—

MMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

The blare of a car horn sounded in her ears as Regan nearly stepped off the curb. Sounds and touch and sight hit her all at once: the scream of her coworker, the startled gasps, the hands on her arms pulling her back. Regan crashed against someone as the car skidding toward her swerved and braked to avoid hitting her. Her heart pounded like a jack rabbit at the near miss. What the hell was she suddenly doing outside?

"Are you okay?"

He coworkers still had a hold of her, and she shook her head, then looked wildly around. They were at the crosswalk in front of the apartment building, presumably headed for the parking lot across the street. The girl she saw, the girl that touched her, was nowhere to be found.

"Regan, I don't know if you know this, but you're supposed to wait until the crosswalk says to go," her British coworker, his voice high with panic but trembling with relieved laughter.

"I'm so sorry," she stammered. "I…did I really just walk into traffic?"

"You looked distracted, I think you thought we were able to go," Hiyori said. "You scared a year off my life, though."

"Let's be more cognizant of our surroundings," her boss said, patting her on the back. The red signal finally turned to green, and they began walking, Regan automatically so. Her heart was still pounding. Everything else was hitting her at once; she was no longer wearing the safety gear, and she couldn't remember taking it off; she couldn't remember going to the roof. She couldn't remember anything after that…girl without the face. Much less leaving the building, walking to their cars, and _walking into traffic_ and almost getting hit.

She heard her boss give final instructions, and after asking her if she was all right, all but confirming that they had indeed been on the roof, that she was to use the pictures and notes she'd taken while they looked at the roof garden space and put it in the report. None of it sounded familiar.

Hiyori tilted her head at her as they want to their cars. "Maybe the heat got to you. I thought I was going to have heatstroke up there, too. It's been a long day."

"Yes it has," Regan said faintly.

"Hydrate, girl. I'll see you in the morning. Take care of yourself, and watch for cars."

Regan called a goodbye, got in her car, blasted the air conditioner, and gaped at the clock when she read the time. It had been a quarter past when she'd finished making notes and they were headed for the elevator…almost thirty minutes ago. Regan had no memory of _any_ of it.

With trembling hands, she picked up the tablet on the passenger seat and accessed the most recent files. There were notes and measurements she had taken while they were on the roof, and she couldn't remember doing that, either. She put the tablet back down as if it bit her and left the construction site, nervously checking behind her as if she expected to see that faceless girl come out of the building.

Regan's internal compass sent her to Toyama University. She realized belatedly that it was just as well; Robyn was working, and she'd be going home to an empty apartment. A shudder worked through her as she quickly walked toward the science building, hyper vigilant of cars. Her stomach was in knots; the fear was such a living, breathing thing inside of her that it choked off her speech and lodged in her throat. Why had she walked into traffic? What couldn't she remember? What had that girl done to her?

When would it show up again?

Rowen's office door was shut and locked. She was sure Rowen would forgive her when she unlocked it with a minute use of her powers and let herself in. She had no idea what class he was teaching or where; couldn't get her brain to puzzle it out. Although she was alone in here, she was surrounded by his imprint; the jacket on the chair that smelled like him, his books, papers with his hurried, small handwriting, that hilarious "bye Felicia" coffee mug, the wall print of an otter in a military uniform, because _of course_.

Regan curled up on his office chair and could not stop the tremors that worked their way through her. Tried not to think about a next time, tried not to hear the blaring of the car horn. She remembered her phone and pulled it out, and before she could think to text anyone, she was dialing.

"What's up, my sister?"

She closed her eyes and let the familiar voice of her brother comfort her. "Hey, Jude. I just wanted to hear your voice. Tell me how you've been."

* * *

Rowen's messenger bag, filled with the papers he had to grade and a few textbooks, thumped against his thigh as he walked down the hall to his office. He was going to drop it off, then maybe head to the lab for another hour or so to get a head start and lighten his load in the morning…although that had been his plan before he'd heard what he'd heard during his students' tests. Now he wasn't so sure he wanted to be in the lab alone. Getting food sounded like a better plan, he thought as his stomach grumbled. Maybe he'd coax Mia into stopping for takeout that he could bring to Rae and Rob.

He slowed when he realized his office light was on, yet the door was shut. He was pretty sure he'd shut it off. Approaching cautiously, Rowen scanned the hall to make sure there were still actually people around, and then opened the door wide with his foot.

"Oh, sweetheart," he said on a sigh, at once relieved and concerned to find his girlfriend in his chair, coiled up in a ball and sleeping. Rowen lowered his bag, shut the door quietly, and crouched down in front of her. "Rae." He pushed her hair back from her face and stroked her arm. Regan jolted at the touch and seized his wrist faster than he thought possible, pushing him away as she woke up and gasped sharply.

"Easy! It's me." Rowen almost let out a lighthearted quip, but he saw real fear in her eyes before she realized it was him, then embraced him tightly and dropped her head on his shoulder. He put his arms around her protectively. "What happened?" he asked quietly. She shook her head. "Regan. What. Happened?"

* * *

A shaken group met at Mia and Cye's that evening, many of them unwilling to go home after their collective experiences that day. Dinner was comfort food; easy and filling. Mia offered up bedrooms to anyone who wanted to stay, since Kento was already crashing there.

"She was _topless_?" Robyn asked when Kento recounted what he saw, sounding mildly scandalized.

"I know, right? Oh my god, it was awful. Not that I could see her front because, you know, her head was on _backwards_. And no one else reacted, it was like only I could see her." Kento's big frame shuddered.

"He's not really sure about that last part, given that he walked out and left the staff to fend for themselves," Cye teased.

"If you saw this thing, buddy, you wouldn't be judging."

"Do we know if that's an urban legend, too?" Regan asked quietly. Robyn glanced at her face again. She still hadn't talked about what happened to the table, but she'd told Robyn in the car. She looked pallid and out of it, like her mind was still back at the construction site. Robyn held her friend's clammy hand and squeezed.

"Joro-Gumo," Mia answered. She was staring hard at her laptop, fingers rubbing her temples as if she had a headache. "There are a few variations to that one, but the description fits. Rae, can you describe what you saw?"

Regan looked down at her plate as she spoke. "I saw a girl in one of the empty apartments. I thought she was a squatter. I went in to tell her it was too dangerous for her to be at a construction site, and when she turned around." She cleared her throat. "She didn't have a face."

"Noppera-bō," Mia and Sage said at the same time, the latter frowning.

"They're supposed to be quite harmless," Sage added. "Did she try to attack you?"

The brunette hesitated. She could not bring herself to say 'I almost walked in front of an oncoming car.' She didn't know if that was a result of being in whatever trance or spell she'd been in while she couldn't remember, or if that creature had a more direct, insidious hand in it. "I don't remember. I saw her face and then suddenly I was outside, with my coworkers. I lost half an hour; I don't remember anything I said or did. I took notes, and pictures, and made it from the roof down to the street, but I have no memory of it."

"That's so weird," Robyn said. "Every single one of these things as a different MO. Sage's outright attacks him, Kento's just likes to sit there and freak him out. And then yours just...makes you wander off? It's like sometimes it feels like they're trying to kill us and sometimes they're not. What are they trying to do?"

"The bigger question is what are we supposed to do about it?" Regan asked in frustration. "How can we fight back against these things?"

" _We_ fight back," Rowen reminded her, suddenly deadly serious. "That is not up to you."

"Not up to me? I don't want you fighting my battles for me," she disputed.

"Too bad, gorgeous, that's my job. And what you _will_ do is check in religiously," Rowen continued. "And go nowhere alone, I mean it this time. No last-minute runs for dinner or to the store, even if it's for five minutes."

The brunette opened her mouth to argue that it wasn't enough and she wanted to be proactive, but she knew it was a losing battle. Five armored warriors against her. It didn't matter that she had her own powers, very impressive powers, that she could easily protect herself and others with. But she wisely remained quiet for now, knowing she wouldn't win the argument. Already, she was plotting her next course of action should that no-faced girl ever show up again.

"So who's left?" Kento asked. "Who, other than Cye, the lucky bastard, hasn't met their goon?"

All eyes swung to Robyn.

She quailed under the attention. "Ryo hasn't either," she said defensively. "He thinks he might have, but maybe not."

Wildfire's expression was grim. Every now and again, he would get that same feeling of being hunted—always when he was outside, either on a call or sometimes just going to his truck. There still had yet to be any attack or visual confirmation though, so he kept quiet.

"Let's just keep doing what we've all been doing," he said. His tiger blue eyes were serious, and a little tired. He'd come to dinner at the end of a double shift. "I'm glad you're all carpooling. Robyn, maybe let Regan take you all the way to work. We don't know what form it's going to take, since they all seem to be wildly different, and we have no idea what's coming next. Check in, try not to take public transportation alone, and if Rowen's not at the apartment…" he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I really don't want either of you alone in that apartment at night anymore."

"Ugh, Rowen practically lives there as it is," Robyn complained. "I'm sick of looking at his face. Can we trade him out for someone else?" Rowen grinned cheekily at her.

"I am more aligned with Regan," Sage said. "Ryo, there has to be a more proactive approach we can take. Staying on the defensive and only being reactionary could get someone hurt."

"All of you guys are more than welcome to come over and get that thing out of my kitchen if it comes back," Kento immediately said.

"Mine moved so fast," Mia added. "I don't even know, when it comes down to it, how corporeal it is. I don't know how you'd fight against that if it can pick and choose."

"We'll pick this up later." Ryo pinched the bridge of his nose, then picked up his dinner plate. "Let's break, clear our heads, and think it over."

Once the dishes were taken care of, half of the group wandered into the living room, half outside. Sage took a walk around the mansion and kept in sight; Ryo collapsed into a chair with a sigh. Regan sat on the porch and Rowen sat next to her, speaking to each other in low, yet impassioned tones. Robyn was within the pair's line of sight, playing with White Blaze.

Ryo rubbed the heels of his hands against his eyes and tried desperately to think of a course of action that would move things forward instead of just perpetuate the haunting that everyone was experiencing. Even if they did go monster hunting, _where_ were they supposed to go to find these things? He still didn't even know _what_ his was; he hadn't even seen it yet. He wished, ridiculously, that things could be like they were when they were all kids; when everyone had been able to gather in one spot to stay safe, to keep an eye on one another. But that just wasn't feasible now that everyone had jobs and lives of their own that they dearly wanted to preserve and protect.

He was still stewing when the front door opened and Robyn walked past him. _Limped_ past him. Wildfire shot up. "Robyn?"

"It's no big," she waved it off. "Swiped a gnarly branch sticking out of the ground. I'm just going to go clean it up." Her leg sported a horizontal scratch that was bleeding slightly.

"First aid kit's in the hall closet," Mia called from her place on the couch. She, Cye, and Kento had been discussing the issue out loud without really coming to any conclusions and only stressing Ryo out more as he listened to them. He was grateful for the opportunity to have something else to do.

Without invitation, Ryo stood and followed Robyn down the hall. He was so quiet about it, she didn't notice until she hesitated in deciding where to look for the first aid kit. He stepped past her, unerringly finding it the first time, and motioned her to go into the dining room.

Though completely fine with cleaning the wound herself, she did as she was told. Just as she was about to sit herself in a chair, Ryo set the kit on the table and then surprised her by grabbing her hips. Effortlessly, he lifted her as if she weighed no more than a child and set her on the edge of the table. Robyn was more than a little flustered at the sudden handling and show of strength.

Ryo didn't notice this. He was already deep in professional EMT mode. It was a side of him she had never seen before. The grimness of his expression versus the extremity of her cut led Robyn to think it wasn't just her small wound that troubled him. She decided to stay quiet and let him work.

Dutifully, Ryo placed his hands on her knees, separating them slightly to get a better view of her injury. His hands left heat on her skin. He cleaned the long cut and then inspected it for splinters and debris. Once satisfied, he pulled out a small bottle. "I'm going to put some iodine on it just to be safe. Rotten wood can have fungus growing in it that might cause infection. It stings a little."

Robyn shrugged. She was an adult, she could handle a little sting. And it did sting when it touched her skin; she flinched slightly. Then Ryo leaned over and lightly blew on the cut. His breath on her skin caused a tingle all the way up her spine until the fine hairs at her nape stood on end. She stiffened and sucked in a breath.

He finally looked up at her. "That should do it."

Robyn fought to look normal, though her face felt hot. "Okay, thanks," she said tightly, wishing he would just go.

He reached for her to pick her up off the table. Robyn saw his hands coming for her and immediately made a strangled sound of distress. Ryo instantly pulled back, palms up. Robyn was horrified with herself, knowing she was acting like a freaking weirdo.

"I can get down myself," she muttered before hopping off and pretty much fleeing the dining room and then the house.

She stopped abruptly just outside the back door as Regan and Rowen were taking up much of the back steps. Sage stood on the ground, leaning casually against the banister. They instantly stopped talking when she stepped out, leading her to believe they were talking about her.

Rowen glanced at the purple stain on her leg. "Iodine? Ryo doesn't mess around. He always goes for the strong stuff."

"Were you guys talking about me?" Robyn asked slyly.

"More like venturing to guess what your monster is going to be," Regan said with a bit of apology. "The guys were trying to think of monsters."

The redhead smirked.

"I thought you'd like that," Rowen said. "Might as well make light of it while we can, right?"

"Anyone worth betting on?" Robyn wondered as she slipped passed the couple and sat herself on a lower stair.

"Sage told me about the bakeneko," Regan said with glee. "It's a shape-shifting cat."

"Aw, yeah. I'll take a cute monster, please."

"We also thought Cye's monster might be water related because we're unoriginal," Rowen said with a smirk. "Thinking the amemasu, which is a fish monster."

"If he even has one," Sage mused. "Maybe the marks coincide with the monsters. Since he never had a mark, he never had a monster."

"Or his monster's already dead," Robyn offered, to which everyone gaped at her. "There was that one monster—the snake—and Ryo killed it."

"Holy crap," Rowen said, realization all over his face.

"That thing went after Cye first," Sage recalled. "In fact, it went after him several times even though the rest of us were attacking it."

"How did we not see this before?"

Robyn shrugged. "Just barely thought of it myself."

Rowen was already up and rushing into the house to share this new theory with the others. Sage was more of a gentleman and waited for the two women to step into the house before going inside himself. Once they were in, they heard Rowen already speaking in an animated fashion over these new ideas. Cye, Mia, and Kento were into the conversation, making sounds of agreement to the new idea. Ryo was in there with them, but sitting silently on the couch, arm draped over his eyes. The very picture of being one hundred percent done with all of this.

This was fairly typical. Ryo always seemed tired whenever he had time to hang out with them. Robyn was bombarded with the mental urge to just snuggle up on the couch with him. It would probably feel nice. But it would probably also be weird. Instead, she leaned over the back, giving him a friendly hug around the neck from behind.

Ryo raised his head as he felt her presence. He leaned into her, letting out a long, drawn out breath. That masculine sound, plus his woodsy scent, made her stomach flip flop and she quickly removed herself before it got worse. Though Ryo did look a little more positive after the display of support. Robyn was happy to be able to offer him that much, despite a growing personal problem that seemed to present itself whenever she got too close to him. Robyn didn't want to admit the reason. She really, really didn't.

* * *

Rowen, Regan, and Robyn all opted to head back to the town home that night as no one had brought any clothes for sleeping over and they all had work in the morning. They figured they would all be safe with the three of them. Regan and Rowen sat up front, still talking with intrigue at their predicament and offering wild predictions for the future.

Robyn sat in the back and stewed on her own problem. One she was dying to confirm with Regan, but certainly not with Rowen present. And Strata wasn't going to leave their presence any time soon, unfortunately. However, while he was showering, Robyn finally found some alone time with her best friend and slipped into the other woman's room.

"Rae, I think I've got a crush on one of the guys," she said in a dire tone. She made it sound like this was the end for her.

Regan, however, lit up like a Christmas tree. "Really? That's so great! You should think about telling him. I'm sure you two will be—"

"It's Ryo."

Regan's face instantly fell as if she had been told her dog was hit by a car. "What? Nooooo. Robyn! You were supposed to get with Sage!"

"What do you mean supposed to? It's not up to you!" the redhead defended.

Regan sighed. "It would have been so perfect, the four of us. Why did you have to go and ruin it?"

"Like this is my fault? I couldn't help it! Why does Ryo have to be so... helpful and attentive all the time?" On the other side of the bedroom wall, they heard the shower turn off. Robyn lowered her voice. "I didn't ask for that. I didn't plan on crushing on any of them."

Regan snorted. "Girl, you've crushed on _all_ of them since high school. What you are is in lust for this one."

Robyn instantly made a face. "No, I don't think so."

"Whatever, you want to jump him."

"I do not!"

"You want to make out with his face."

"Stop."

"I mean, he is pretty good-looking, but also quite emotionally unavailable. He still mopes about his ex."

Robyn sighed. "I know. Don't tell anybody. Maybe it's just a phase. Maybe it will pass as soon as he stops... randomly touching me."

Regan gave a small noise of amusement. "I don't think that's how it works." Then she scrunched her nose at Robyn and went, "Aww, my baby finally has her first real crush. I'm still a little salty it isn't Sage, but…maybe we can work with this."

"There is no 'we.' There is no 'work with this.' This is annoying, and it'll pass."

"Of course it will," Regan placated, her eyes sparkling.

"Don't make fun of me."

"I would _never_."

Then the bedroom door opened and there stood Rowen, damp with a towel wrapped around his waist. He balked at finding two girls in the bedroom, having the decency to be a bit uncomfortable at the one he wasn't dating seeing him like this.

After making an irritated grunt, Robyn tried to make her way out of the bedroom. Rowen moved aside to let her pass, pressing against the door frame so they wouldn't brush each other.

"Don't touch her, Rowen," Regan teased. "Apparently, that's her thing."

Rowen raised a curious brow at his girlfriend while, behind him, Robyn gave her a 'you said you wouldn't say anything!' look before stalking off to her own room.

* * *

"You must be so excited."

Mia looked up at the woman behind the counter at the university's international post office. She was beaming at her, holding the envelopes with their pretty, cream-colored detail etched into the paper as if she were sending out invites to her own wedding.

"I am," Mia said honestly, ignoring the twinge of nerves and dread that surfaced any time she dared to be happy about something since this all started. The wedding was in less than two months. She _was_ excited. Her parents and extended family were flying out in four weeks. She and Cye had already met with the photographer, the flowers were chosen, the ceremony and reception colors—pale blue and cream—and décor were picked out. All the planning and stress was finally showing results, and Mia had expected some of the tension to leave her.

It merely shifted onto a new worry.

She wasn't even supposed to be at the post office alone. Oh, she had fully intended to bring someone along, but everyone was working, and these invitations had sat at her desk for over a week. She had to get them out now, lest they sit for another few days. Running out on her lunch break was not a big deal. Besides; she was still on campus grounds, and Rowen was teaching a class only two halls away.

Her thoughts distracted her so much that the woman had to tell her the cost twice, and Mia apologized and swiped her card.

"Thank you for your trouble," she told the woman.

"No trouble at all. Congratulations."

I am marrying the love of my life, Mia told herself, almost in defiance against whatever was hunting them all. She left the post office and took the scenic route back to the building housing her office, past students on winding pathways cutting across swaths of greenery and lush trees. All of this will be over by the time my family arrives, who I am very happy to see. No one will get hurt. I will marry Cye, and nothing can stop that. Everything will be fine.

A smile unconsciously stole across her face when she thought of showing the world just how much she adored the Ronin of Torrent and celebrating their relationship with the people she loved the most. She thought of his face when he would see her in her wedding dress for the first time. It felt like the last decade of her life had been culminating to this point, and she couldn't wait to start this new chapter.

Nothing would get in the way of that.

Mia passed by the pretty stone fountain in the middle of campus, its waters continually disrupted by the water falling from the artfully piled rocks in the center. It babbled pleasantly, and the breeze lifted a fine spray from the fountain to mist her skin. It felt wonderful in this heat.

Until a chill worked its way up Mia's spine and rippled goose flesh over her skin, as if she'd stepped under cloud cover and the sun's warmth had disappeared. Which it hadn't. Students walked past her, laughing, talking, or listening to headphones, totally unaware even though she felt…watched. Unsafe.

 _Red?_

She swallowed a gasp and whirled around. Water murmured in the fountain, its spray still misting her.

"Or blue?"

Phantom fingers trailed down the back of Mia's neck as the disembodied voice murmured in her ear. A soft cry of surprise and fear escaped her throat. Mia took off, fairly running down the path toward her building. She didn't stop until she was inside the cooler air conditioning of the hall, then collapsed onto a bench, panting, shaking.

She sat there for a long time, waiting. It hadn't followed her.

"This is going to stop," she whispered. She hadn't lived in fear like this since she was a teenager. And even back then, she had tirelessly worked at finding answers, helping in the only way she could. She worked at a university that employed geniuses and walking fountains of knowledge. There had to be one who could help unravel this mystery.

With renewed purpose and a queasy stomach, Mia walked back to her office, shut the door, and brought up the university staff registry.


	11. Chapter 10

**Urban Legend**

 **Chapter Ten**

"I think there's one more box in here somewhere," Cye's mother said as she dug around the pile of storage boxes in the open garage.

Cye carried the current box to his full trunk before stepping back to the garage. His mother was already waiting with another box.

"That should be the last of all the stuff we have from Sayoko's wedding. Tell Mia she's welcome to use whatever she wants and then get rid of it. I don't need it back." She paused. "Oh, wait. What if Robyn gets married? What if she gets married here in Japan? Maybe I should keep it for a while longer."

Cye just smirked as he carried the last box to the car. It was anyone's guess if that day would ever happen. At twenty-five years old, Cye had yet to hear of Robyn even dating someone once. She didn't seem to be interested in looking for a significant other. Some people were like that; living completely content single lives. Robyn loved her solitude and independence, so Cye wouldn't have been surprised if she was one of those people.

Mrs. Mouri sighed in mild disappoint as he said, "Well, we'll pack up whatever's left after the wedding and you can tell me if you want to keep it or not."

"How is Robyn? I haven't seen her in a while. She used to come over all the time."

Cye gave a tight smile. Robyn didn't come over because, in this strange life of surprise monsters they now lived, no one knew what was going to happen next. Robyn didn't want to put Cye's mother in danger since no one knew when the next attack would come. The only reason Cye felt it safe to go over himself was because of the theory that his monster was already dead. Even then, he did not plan on staying long. No use kicking that gift horse in the mouth, as it were.

"She's been very busy with her job, and the hours aren't always predictable. I know she misses seeing you, too. Hopefully it will slow down for her soon and she'll have a night off."

The excuse was paltry at best, but it was all Cye had to come up with. Normally, Robyn visited his mother once or twice a week. She had taken to referring to the woman as "Mom", which was something she did not do when she lived with them as a teenager. Mrs. Mouri was delighted with this, as she had considered Robyn like a daughter for quite some time. The first time she did it, the woman had to excuse herself from the room as emotion overcame her.

Eventually, they needed to come have family dinner at the Mouri's. Neither Cye nor Robyn could stand not visiting for too much longer. He missed the simple comfort of a meal at home; he knew Robyn did, too, and they risked hurting his mother's feelings. Perhaps if he invited a few of the guys to join, it would be an uneventful meal. So far, the monsters had attacked when one of them was alone. If there was a large group at the Mouri house, chances were everything would be fine.

"Well, tell her to call me sometime. We can even go out to lunch if she's too busy to come over. I hope she's at least making some time for herself and for all of you. Doing nothing but work isn't good."

Cye carefully closed the trunk of the car, mindful of the boxes. "Oh, she definitely tries. I believe she's out with Kento right now."

His mother's eyes instantly lit up. "Out in what way?"

Cye raised a curious brow. "Just hanging out in town with her friend Regan. Why do you look so disappointed?"

"Oh, you know." Mrs. Mouri flapped her hand, and a look crossed her face like she was remembering something fondly. "I kept hoping perhaps she and one of you boys would get together. All of you were just so sweet to her. For fun, I used to mentally place odds on each one of you."

"Seriously?"

"Don't worry, sweetie, my money was always on you."

"Mom!"

She laughed. "Oh, come on, it was just for fun. Not that I'm not thrilled with Mia, but I always thought you and Robyn would be cute together. Each of you finding someone different just means the family will be that much bigger."

Cye gave a look of disapproval to his mother's grin.

"You will keep me informed if something happens between Robyn and any of your other friends, right?"

He just continued to frown at her, so she changed the subject.

"I spoke with your grandmother. She said she saw you in town a few days ago."

"Oh, yes, I remember that."

"She asked me why you always look homeless."

Cye glanced down at himself, knowing he looked quite homeless now in old, worn in shorts and a thin, faded t-shirt. It just wasn't worth walking around in nice clothes when an emergency rescue could pop up at any time. "Did you tell her it's because I'm constantly in and out of smelly sea water daily?"

She smiled at him. Both of them understood, knowing Cye's grandmother, that the old woman really meant how did Cye catch a woman like Mia always looking like that.

"You _are_ going to cut your hair before the wedding, right?" came the motherly tone.

Cye scratched at the back of his neck. His hair was getting quite long. In fact, most of it was pulled up into a sloppy bun at the moment. "Yes, Mother. Trust me; Mia won't let me walk down that aisle unless I'm clean-cut."

"That's a good woman you've got there."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Kento felt strangely safe in the company of two women. And happy to be so; maybe he could get some errands done without feeling like he had to look over his shoulder every two seconds. It was nice being in the company of Regan and Robyn. Despite the former having an unsettling run in with her monster, both girls were still very cavalier about the whole thing.

Regan had joked she would squash the spider woman for Kento if they ran into it. He didn't doubt that she could. Her abilities were very impressive, even by Ronin Warriors standards. It was probably why she could have an encounter with some creepy no-face girl and still walk around with such confidence. The attitude very easily rubbed off on Kento and put him in a braver disposition. As such, he didn't mind at all wandering around stores with the girls, carrying their bags, talking and laughing with them as if everything were normal.

He grabbed Robyn's bag as they stepped out of a thrift store.

"You sure?" she asked. "I can carry my own stuff."

"It's fine, I'm used to it. I like being helpful."

Robyn shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat."

"He's just fulfilling his duty since he's playing the boyfriend," Regan grinned. They had been joking from the start that Kento was the substitute boyfriend for the day. "Though if you really wanted to play the part, you'd be paying for everything."

Kento laughed. "Yeah, no thanks. My wallet has finally recovered from my last significant other. I'm going to enjoy actually having money for a while."

"And if you let him pay for anything, I will slap you," Robyn told Regan. "I know you're making bank on this job."

Regan held her hands up in surrender. Clearly, she was fine paying for her own purchases—she had bought several things already. Whereas Robyn, who lived more frugally, just made her first purchase at the thrift store. She had always lived modestly and didn't seem to mind it. Though Kento didn't seem like he would mind purchasing something for her, especially when Robyn hauled them into an adorable little pastry shop. All of the boys seemed to enjoy being sweet to Robyn, which endeared these five men to Regan all the more. And Robyn had been right; while Kento was physically imposing and could easily intimidate, he was also something of a puppy, or a large teddy bear. A teddy bear with armor. Who could kick serious ass.

"Look at all the adorable stuff!" Robyn exclaimed, nearly pressing her nose to the display case, as excited as a kid on Christmas. "Ah! Look at the cat doughnuts! And the little bunny dumplings! So cute! I want them all!"

All Robyn's money-saving sensibilities went right out the window as she began to mentally tally all the things she wanted. This was the first time Regan had ever been inside such a shop and she was terribly impressed with the level of skill that must have gone into all the selections. There were chocolates fashioned to look like an array of cute animals. Sugar candies designed to look like beautiful glass, flowers, or even full paintings. Then she caught sight of a water drop cake on display and was thoroughly fascinated with it.

An adorable store assistant stepped out from the back, wearing a full uniform of lavender and white. She remained in good humor as Robyn piled up the list of all the different items she wanted. It would definitely take her a few days to eat everything. Or not. This was Robyn after all.

When everything was tallied, she reached into her jeans for some cash, but Kento beat her to it, handing his card to the girl across the counter.

"Kento, you just said you were happy not to pay," Robyn protested.

"Yeah, but if I pay for this, you have to share it with me and I can taste everything," he grinned.

Robyn decided to allow it. Her independent side was satisfied with sharing if he wanted to pay. Regan grabbed a couple things for herself and the three stepped out of the cool bakery and back into the sweltering, humid heat of the Japanese summer.

"You guys want to go back to our place?" Robyn then asked. "I need to get this stuff into the fridge soon or everything's going to melt."

"There's a couple food places up here," Kento said, pointing up the sidewalk before them. "Let's grab some lunch to go and then head back."

The girls agreed and started ahead, all three discussing what they would like for lunch. They obliviously passed one store as a patron was stepping out, not even noticing her until she called out.

"Kento?"

Ice surged up the spine of the Warrior of Hardrock at that terribly familiar voice. He froze in his tracks.

"I thought that was you. There's no mistaking that backside."

Kento slowly turned around. The girls who accompanied him were already facing the other woman.

"Uh, hey, Fumi," he said a bit stiffly.

Robyn's eyes widened a little. So this was the dreaded ex-girlfriend. She was cute. Not particularly tall, but curvy and fashionable with short hair and piercing eyes. She used those eyes to appraise Regan and Robyn up and down with that invisible measuring stick rival females often used on each other. Her intense gaze then wandered back up to him.

"You look good, Kento."

"Uh, thanks. You, too."

"How you been?"

"Pretty good."

And just when he thought they might get away with a normal conversation, Fumi said, "So, which one of these is your rebound whore as you try to forget me?"

Kento and Robyn both stared at her, mouths agape, all thoughts chased away by such a bold statement. Regan, however, was not so easily intimidated.

"Oh, we're both his rebound whores and he's already forgotten you, sweetie." Her voice dripped false sugary sweetness. "His life is so much better now, he doesn't even recall how miserable you made him."

Now it was Fumi's turn to gape. Though there seemed a part of her that didn't quite believe what was being said. Regan gave a meaningful glance to Robyn to help her out.

"Um, yeah," the redhead said. Then she gave Kento a very earnest hug around the torso. He looked like he could use one. "And I bought him a new toaster. A _really_ nice one."

Fumi looked a bit offended that she knew about the stolen toaster, but this wasn't her first bitch-off. "Yeah, it would take two of you to even come close to how I well I could satisfy him."

"Ew," Robyn shot right back as Regan laughed. "So classy." She was already trying to get Kento to just turn around and end the conversation when her phone pinged. She quickly checked the new text she had received. "Oh, Cye said he's driving back from his mom's house and wants to meet up for lunch. Can we just grab him something and have him meet us at our place?" Another ping. "Aw, and he says his mom misses me. We have to go there for dinner sometime."

The three were now walking away, completely ignoring Fumi, but she had heard Robyn's words. Kento's redheaded skank had somehow wheedled her way in with the best friend. Fumi hadn't been able to get Cye to give her the time of day and here this whore was planning on going to Cye's mother's _house_. That was the thing that got under Fumi's skin the most. Despite their breakup, she continued to toil under the delusion that Kento would eventually come back to her. This truly made her feel she was losing her hold on him.

"Kento!" she cried.

Kento paused to turn around, but both girls at his sides pulled him forward by the arms.

"Nope, not going to talk to her," Robyn urged. "Keep going. I'm starving."

Regan patted him on the back. "Food—more important."

"Kento!" Fumi practically screamed at his back as the girls abruptly pulled him around the next corner.

He visibly relaxed when his ex's gaze was no longer drilling into his back. Though he did continue to glance behind him to make sure he wasn't being followed. "Thanks, guys. I always get all stupid when I'm around her. She really learned how to pull my strings good."

"No worries, your whores will protect you," Regan said lightly.

Kento broke into laughter.

Soon, the three settled on a restaurant and ordered enough for four people to go. They then sat themselves at a table to chat while the food was being prepared. Robyn texted Cye, letting him know approximately what time they would all be back at the house. The background noise from the kitchen rumbled behind her. Mostly, it comprised of the dull sounds of simmering food and heavy pots and pans clanging. Then the sharp metallic sound of a blade being used would cut through it all. For some reason, it gave Robyn a bit of a chill. Probably similar to nails on a chalkboard, so she thought nothing of it.

When the food was finished and packed in to-go bags, Kento insisted on paying and the girls allowed him this. All three stepped out, walking back toward where his jeep was parked so they could head home. Somewhere through the chatter, Robyn thought she heard it again: that same sharp metallic sound of blade, metal against metal. It made the hairs on her arms stand up.

 _Skreek, skreek._

She heard it again, as if it were following her. Kento and Regan hadn't seemed to notice at all.

 _Skreek._

"Ow!" Robyn protested as she suddenly felt hot pain on her face. She slapped her palm to her cheek and, when she drew back her hand, there was blood.

Regan turned to look at her, and her eyes widened. "Robyn, your face."

She knew her face was bleeding; she just didn't know the slice in her skin went clear from her eye to nearly her jaw line.

 _Skreek. Skreek._

Kento and Regan both watched as Robyn jerked back in surprise and a slash appeared right before their eyes on her arm. Then a second one.

"Shit, Robyn," Kento breathed, moving closer. What the hell was happening? He touched her arm and then jerked back when the slice splitting Robyn's skin went up through his hand like an invisible knife through soft butter. Right before his eyes, another thin cut appeared at her collar, going up her neck. There was energy in the air, as if these physical attacks were being thrown her way.

As if she could sense the next one coming, Regan threw herself at Robyn, hugging her around the neck as a slice cut through Regan's arm and the lower part of Robyn's cheek.

It was seeing her friend's blood that put Robyn into action. Her own instincts kicked in and she honed in on her senses. To the side, down the street. Whatever it was, it was standing over there, on the opposite street corner, just watching. She heard the sound of metal on metal as she turned.

There it stood, a tall black silhouette, seemingly invisible to everyone else. Despite the summer heat, it wore a heavy coat and a hat to block its face from her. In one great hand was an elongated pair of shears. It opened them up and snapped them closed. Another cut appeared on her as Robyn surged forward out of Regan's hold.

There was no blocking the attacks. Someone was going to get hurt each time. It was the source; she had to stop the source. She had to stop the blades from opening and closing or it would just keep coming. Narrowly dodging a moving car, she darted out into the road, across the small, two lane street toward the figure. She heard her friends call for her, but they were blocked by the traffic.

Another _snickt_ of the blades, another cut appeared. Blood dribbled from her face down into her shirt as Robyn was nearly on top of the thing. She could see a wide smile beneath the brim of the hat as she charged. Then, before they could collide, the thing disappeared in a wisp of black smoke. The sound of metal against metal disappeared. Robyn stood on the sidewalk, bleeding and wild-eyed.

* * *

Mia didn't find who she was looking for directly through the staff registry of the University of Toyama. The path that led to the right person meandered a little, from one history professor to the next and the next, with specializations in the Meiji and Edo periods, Azuchi-Momoyama and Muromachi periods, all the way back to the Kamakura period in the 12th century. She showed them photos of the drawings Rowen had etched, figuring it would raise fewer questions than tattoos of the strange marks on skin.

None of the professors recognized the symbol; but one knew who would, and Mia couldn't believe she hadn't thought of him to begin with. Although it had been a long time, and she had been just a girl when she met this colleague of her grandfather's. His office was the only other space she had ever heard the name "Ronin Warriors." She'd been sixteen, and her grandfather had paid the elderly professor a visit with his granddaughter in tow. She only saw him a handful of other times, after her grandfather died and the war with Talpa was over. He'd fed her matcha cookies he kept in his office, and they had talked more of her grandfather than of ancient Japanese history. His kindness, rather than his expertise, had stuck with her.

"I don't remember you talking about him back then," Rowen said as he got in Mia's car.

"I don't recall if I ever did," Mia admitted as she got in the driver's side. "He retired not long after the war, and he was out of the country for awhile. I didn't realize he'd come back to the area. Thanks for coming with me."

"Like you were going alone in the first place." Rowen adjusted the seat back for his long legs as she started the engine. "I'd be a little put out if you asked anyone else to be your research assistant. Feels like the old days. Especially pre-Africa."

Mia laughed. "What a mess that was. It does a little bit." She gave him a sly grin before heading for the route that would take them to a town neighboring Toyama. "Your fashion sense has improved since then."

"You got a problem with argyle?"

The trip to Professor Kaneko's home was a pleasant one, and for once, Mia was able to just enjoy the presence and friendship of one of her boys and talk about work, the university, what they were currently reading; anything other than the problems plaguing their lives at the moment. Rowen had an air of relief about him, as if he, too, were grateful for the respite.

The suburb the professor lived in was quiet and filled with other elderly retirees. Potted plants hung from his tiny porch, and Rowen named the herbs out loud as Mia knocked, then muttered, "Is that oleander under his window?"

"Pretty."

"Poisonous."

"That's another way to say "get off my lawn," I guess."

Rowen chuckled. The door opened, and a short, bespectacled elderly man stood in the doorway, wearing a grandpa cardigan and tweed pants despite the heat outside.

"Mia-san!" he cried happily in a thin, reedy voice. "What a pleasant surprise to see you."

"I'm sorry we didn't call," Mia quickly apologized with a bow. "I had trouble finding your number. I hope we're not coming at a bad time. Are you busy?"

"Of course not, I'm retired. All I have is free time. What brings you to my door?"

Mia motioned to the tall young man behind her. "This is Professor Hashiba from the university. He and I are working on a bit of a... side project. We've hit a dead end in our research and I was hoping you could perhaps help us out a bit."

The old man's eyes lit up with intrigue. "Well, do come in and tell me all about it." He turned and walked back into the house, intending them to follow. Mia stepped inside with Rowen bringing up the rear. The main hallway was surprisingly dark and windowless. That combined with the old paintings on the wall gave Rowen a hint of claustrophobia. It didn't escape the ronin's attention that all the paintings depicted monsters from Japanese lore. It seemed they did indeed come to the right person.

Rowen paused at one particularly grisly painting with a massive spider-like creature with the head of a tiger. Men with swords fought the giant beast. One of the warriors managed to cut the swelled abdomen of the spider and human limbs protruded from the wound.

"That's the tsuchigumo," Professor Kaneko said when he noticed Rowen studying the painting. "It was said to hide in the forests or underground. They captured and ate unsuspecting travelers."

"It's terrifying," Rowen said frankly.

The old man laughed. "That it is." He led them to the opposite end of the house, which was full of sunlight as most of the walls were made up of windows. Mia sat in the old, but comfortable couch as it was offered, while Rowen continued to walk around the room, admiring the eclectic historical collection of random items the retired professor had on display: ancient scripture, faded photographs, woodblock prints, and beautiful ukiyo-e paintings.

"Monsters of folklore have always been a special intrigue of mine," Kaneko continued as he sat himself in the chair across from Mia. "Even my favorite legend about the five mystical armors has monsters in it." He glanced in Rowen's direction. "Are you familiar with this legend, Hashiba-San? What is your field of study?"

"Physics, mostly," he replied, still nosing around the various artifacts and books that decorated the shelves. "But I have heard of this story before."

Kaneko chuckled. "If you are friends with Mia, no doubt you have. Her grandfather and I used to discuss well into the night about this legend and how much of it was historical fact and where the fiction of the story began. I have an old painting on the wall behind me. It's ukiyo-e."

Rowen's attention was turned as the older man gestured behind himself to the wall. The ronin strolled over to find a framed, faded panting on aged parchment depicting five ancient samurai armors.

"I found it at an estate sale, do you believe it, in Osaka."

Rowen instantly found the Strata armor and looked over at Mia with a grin, pointing at the armor and then pointing at himself. She immediately frowned and gave him a cutting motion to knock it off before the older man noticed.

"If you'll look closely, you'll see a shadowed figure in the background of the painting," Kaneko continued. "They said this figure was the ruler of the Youjakai—the nether realm. That he had an otherworldly army at his command. And that he had even seduced mortal men to come to his side and imbued them with the power of demons. The mystic armors were thus created to fight this being and his army. Those who study the legend like to focus on the five heroes, but it was the villain that always intrigued me."

Intrigued himself, Rowen sat down next to Mia. "I haven't met many people who were that interested in the legend."

"Ah yes, well, Mia's grandfather made it a difficult one to forget. Especially since he greatly believed that the return of these historical characters would happen sometime in the near future. He even got Mia so worked up when she was younger, she once told me she knew the legend was true because she met the bearers of these mystical armors."

Rowen glanced at Mia, who suddenly looked embarrassed.

"Of course, I was picturing grizzled, old warriors. But when she said they were five young men who held the armor, I assumed she just had a crush."

Pink now tinted Mia's cheeks. "That was a while ago. I've grown up now." Now she knew better than to say anything of what she knew out loud to others. Then, eager to change the subject, she said: "Rowen and I stumbled upon some old runes when we were out vacationing with friends." She handed the retired professor a few of the paper drawings they had put together of the tattoos.

Kaneko studied them for several moments. "Where did you see these?" he asked.

"At a village," Mia said after exchanging a glance with Rowen. "In the mountains. We were all vacationing up there, and found it on a hike. We were fascinated by the markings."

"Where along the range were you?"

"I can show you," Rowen said, pulling out his phone. He brought up a map and walked over to the professor to show him.

The professor made intrigued noises as he glanced from Rowen's phone to the markings, his bifocals perched on the end of his nose. "Where in the village did you see these marks?" he asked.

Mia told him about the ancient Shinto shrine, saying they saw the symbols there. "We thought they looked like runes," she said. "I checked my grandfather's research and books, and so far, I've seen nothing like them. To be honest, Professor…we didn't get a good vibe from this shrine. We think it might be a dangerous place for people to come across, and I'd really like to know what this means to know…why, I suppose."

"We tried researching that particular area, too," Rowen added. "What areas were inhabited during certain eras, what era this particular village might have belonged to, to get a better idea of what's been left behind."

"Have you pictures?"

"Yes." And she'd forgotten the camera at home. Mia sighed. "Professor, my apologies; I don't have my camera with me. I can bring it by."

"Just email them to me, dear. I'm retired, not technophobic."

She smothered a smile. "Of course, my apologies. Thank you for taking the time to look into this."

"As I said, my dear, I am retired. I have nothing but time on my hands now. I have my garden, my cats, and my research." He paused, and inspected the sketches again with a frown. "I feel as if I have seen runes of this sort before—I believe we're looking as far back as the Kofun or Yayoi periods. This bears no resemblance to writing I've seen of old Japanese. You may have found something extraordinary, from a historical perspective. A pocket of ancient civilization that may have used an entirely independent form of written language or pictographs, before old Japanese was adopted. I can think of a few that may match, but it may take me a few days to pair it with the right one. Thank you for identifying the area, young man."

"You're welcome," Rowen said.

"We'd love to hear whatever you find, as soon as you know," Mia added. She didn't know how else to express a sense of urgency without alarming the elderly man.

"Your grandfather would be pleased that you're still following in his footsteps." The old professor smiled fondly at Mia. "He had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Some of my fondest remembered conversations were with him about the rich mythology of our history."

Rowen looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. "Are you familiar with urban legends, Professor?"

The old man perked up at the subject. "Quite so! I have a few collections of stories, not just from Japan, but around the world. I find them to be very intriguing."

"And where do you think these monsters come from?" Rowen glanced down the hall at the grotesque spider painting. "Like, say, the tsuchigumo. Or even modern legends like the Teke Teke or the Slit-Mouthed Woman. What are the origins of these stories?"

Kaneko sat back in his chair, looking thoughtful. A fat, white cat wandered in and jumped into his lap as he mused. "Most legends and stories are conceived with half truths; actual occurrences that stretched toward the fantastic. In feudal times, superstition stoked the fires of storytelling. The world has always been a dangerous place, and mankind naturally had to come up with an explanation for sicknesses, sudden deaths, or strange disappearances. Even in modern time, new urban legends pop up, usually based on traumatic or unfortunate real life events.

"On the whole, these stories are warnings to our species: to be careful, to remain vigilant; to not always trust that we are safe in our surroundings so that we may live longer."

"And what if all these strange monsters all had the same origin?" Rowen ventured. "What if they all came from one source?"

The older man rubbed his face thoughtfully. "I suppose, in a way, they do. They all spout from the human collective consciousness. For some reason, we've always had a drive to create monsters and demons. It strangely seems we like to have things waiting for us, lurking in the dark. That has never changed as modern man continues to come up with more and more horror stories."

"You think we make it all up?" Rowen mused. "Every bit of it? There is no truth to monsters at all? We make it all up in our heads. You never think that sometimes there is an actual reason that people go out into the dark and they never come back?"

Kaneko shrugged. "Surely there is a reasonable explanation for everything. But we enjoy telling ourselves the fantastic far more than the actual truth."

Rowen opened his mouth to continue the conversation when his phone pinged. He dug into his pocket and viewed the screen. The grave face he made told Mia that they probably needed to be elsewhere. Her heart picked up a little, dying to know what the message said.

"Is it time to go?" she asked, keeping a polite tone.

"Yeah," Rowen said somberly. He stood and gave a brief bow. "Thank you for your time. It was very nice to meet you."

"It was nice to have visitors," Kaneko nodded. "I look forward to figuring out this puzzle you have offered me. In the meantime, may I suggest this book. It's a very interesting collection of comics based on new urban legends and scary stories. I found it to be an interesting read on what scares us as a collective in this day and age." He handed Rowen a large hard cover book with _Fuan no Tane_ written on the cover. "Mia can return it to me the next time she visits." He winked at her, all of them knowing he was creating a reason for her to come back to see him.

Mia laughed and thanked him, happy to have a reason to visit him again. "Before we go, I would like to invite you, Professor, to my wedding next month. I would be honored for you to attend; not just for this, but for your kindness in the past and your relationship with my grandfather. My family would enjoy meeting you."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world!" With a glance at Rowen, he added: "I take it this isn't the groom?"

Mia chuckled and patted Rowen's shoulder. "No, not him. It's another one of them."

Professor Kaneko's brow raised in the silent question. Another one of what?

Rowen cleared his throat. "We really need to be going. There are people waiting for us."

"Yes, of course, sorry to delay you," the old man said, then paused. "Oh, wait. One more thing before you go." He pulled out a drawer, inspected its contents, shook his head at himself, then pulled out the drawer beneath it and emitted a, "A-ha!" A tin came out, and he struggled to open it with short, dull fingernails. Rowen almost offered to help, but the tin's cover gave and popped open.

"Young Mia can't leave my office without some matcha, can she?" Professor Kaneko set the tin of green matcha cookies in front of Mia with a fond smile and a wink.

Tears burned in Mia's throat. Memories of her grandfather, Kaneka's old office, and matcha cookies and tea brought her back nearly ten years. "No, she can't," Mia said thickly, giving the professor a beautiful smile as she took a cookie.

* * *

Cye ran from his car to the front door of the townhome. He threw open the door and headed straight for the kitchen, made all the smaller with two girls and Hardrock's large form crowding it. Robyn sat on the kitchen counter in shorts and a tank top, staring at some point on the floor while Regan cleaned the blood from the side of her face and Kento hovered on the other side. Water ran in the kitchen sink, and a garbage can had been positioned nearby, full of bloody paper towels. Two bags of food sat on the kitchen table, forgotten.

"Robyn?" he asked in alarm.

She looked up then, her green eyes remarkably calm. "Hi, Cye."

"They're mostly superficial," Kento answered Torrent's next question before he could voice it. The warrior's face was grim, and would have scared Fumi stiff if she had ever been on the receiving end of it.

Cye maneuvered his way in past Regan to frame Robyn's face in his hands and brush her hair back to see the two cuts on either side of her face. He internally hissed in sympathy. It had to hurt something fierce. "What happened?"

"She said she saw a man wearing a heavy coat, and he had scissors of some kind," Regan answered. She rinsed out the washcloth, wrung it, and then carefully worked on the cut along Robyn's knee. The redhead involuntarily twitched, and Rae made a noise of apology. Her hands were smeared with Robyn's blood, and her eyes were focused but furious as she tended to her best friend.

"More like pruning shears, maybe," Robyn mumbled, her voice airy. She seemed to still be in shock from the encounter. "They were pretty big."

"Did anyone else see this guy?"

"Kind of," Kento said. "Robyn saw him before either of us. We couldn't figure out where the attack was coming from. She just—there was just blood coming from everywhere and no one around." His voice wavered at the end, his pupils a bit dilated. The encounter had scared the hell out of him. How was he supposed to protect people if he couldn't see the attack coming?

"Why aren't we at a hospital?" Cye asked tersely.

"And tell them what?" Kento argued. "How would we explain these wounds? The police would be all over this and we wouldn't have any answers."

Regan removed a wet towel from Robyn's arm and then pressed it back down again on the cut. "This one just doesn't want to stop bleeding. I wish we owned a first aid kit."

Hardrock rolled his shoulders and blew out a breath. "She won't need one. Sage is on his way. He'll fix it."

Regan eyed him, but said nothing.

As if summoned by the mere mention, Ryo and Sage both walked inside, letting themselves in with urgency on their faces. Ryo looked fit to take on any foe set before him as his wide, dark blue eyes swept over the angry cuts, the bloody rags. "What did this? How did this happen?" he demanded.

It took Kento a moment to realize Wildfire was looking to him for answers. He was the one present. It was his duty to keep the girls safe. Ryo was instantly holding him responsible for all the blood, and it ignited Hardrock's guilt, anger, and helplessness anew.

As Ryo demanded answers, Sage neatly slipped around the two toward Robyn, who still remained sitting on the counter next to the sink. He nodded to Regan as he moved into their space. The weight of his mere presence caused her to step back and give him room. "I'll take it from here," he said simply.

Mystified, Rae stepped to the side as the blond inspected her cuts and Robyn let him.

"Not how you expected your afternoon to go, is it," Sage murmured as he pressed a cool hand to her forehead, pushing her hair back to see if there were injuries hiding in her hairline.

"Does it ever?" Robyn responded.

He looked at her mutely, his violet eyes boring into her green ones. He gently cupped her face in both hands and Regan's eyes widened as a soft, green glow emitted from his touch and onto Robyn's form. Before her eyes, one of the cuts on the side of Robyn's face began to knit itself closed and shrink. How were these men even real? She watched the blond's solemn, regal face as he healed her best friend's wounds like they were never even there.

" _What happened_?" Ryo's lethal voice asked again as this was going on.

Kento breathed out deep, running his fingers through his hair. "I don't know what it was. Robyn was the only one who really even saw it. And it was across the frigging street, Ryo. I swear it didn't get near her. She just... started bleeding. No one even touched her and she just—" He rubbed his face in frustration, his voice cracking. "How the hell can I protect her? I couldn't even..." He trailed off, angered by his own inability to fight back.

Robyn listened to him silently, then her attention returned to the two people in front of her as Sage finished with her injuries. He then looked at Regan. "You're cut, too."

She glanced at the blood on her arm. Regan had received that for trying to block the attack to Robyn, but hadn't really felt the pain until he pointed it out. "Yeah, but mine's not as bad. It's fine." She glanced at her friend. "God, Robyn, what if one of those had cut your _throat_?"

Robyn's eyes widened; the most she had emoted since they returned home, and put a hand to her neck. She watched mutely as Sage pressed his hand to Regan's wound anyway, the woman's cheeks growing a little pink as she felt the warm, calm power of Halo sweep through her body.

What if it had cut Regan's throat? Or Kento's? They both had tried to block the attacks, getting cut themselves. Not even Regan's power could have stopped it. They couldn't even tell where the attack was coming from. If this thing came back, anyone could get hurt trying to protect her from it. Maybe fatally so. She was now part of the danger. If anyone got hurt, it would be her fault.

Robyn slid off the counter, her clothes still tinted with blood, though her wounds were healed. She walked trance-like out of the kitchen and toward the hall. As she passed him, Ryo immediately felt like something was wrong and put his arm out to block her way.

"Where are you going?" he asked in a low voice.

She moved passed him. "I just... I have to go," was all she said as she retreated down the hall.

Cye and Ryo looked at each other; each felt that something was off. They followed her down to her bedroom to find Robyn already rifling through her things, haphazardly trying to pack a travel bag. She threw clothes and other random items into the bag as she paced around the room in an agitated state. She didn't quite seem to know what to grab, the act itself even overwhelming her.

"Robyn?" Cye asked as he walked into the room. "What's going on?"

She hardly even acknowledged their presence, though Cye's question rang somewhere in her thoughts. "I gotta... I gotta go..." she muttered to herself as she glanced quickly around the room. "I can't stay here. If it comes back I... I..." She couldn't finish the sentence. Her wide eyes were dilated, and she didn't seem to know what to do with her hands.

"Robyn, calm down. You're not going anywhere," Cye told her. He tried not to let her words drudge up painful memories barely dulled with time, or elicit distress at the thought of this happening again. "You can't just run from everything that scares you. You have to stay with us so we can keep you safe." He lightly touched her shoulder. "You're going to be okay, just calm down."

Her breathing became more labored as she stared at him. What if it happened to Cye? Any one of them, all it would take was just one slash in the wrong spot and they would bleed to death trying to protect her. It wasn't just a possibility, it was a certainty; if any of them tried to help, there was absolutely nothing stopping that monster from freely slicing anyone who came to her aid. Maybe it wouldn't kill her right way to toy with her, but it seemed to have no problem with recklessly injuring those she cared about. And the next time it would be someone's neck sliced open. She could see it so clearly; Cye on the ground, bleeding out; or Kento, or Rowen, or Rae.

Someone would die, and it would be all her fault.

The room suddenly became too small, the air had been sucked out of it. How was she expected to stay here? How could she, when something this horrible was in store for one of them?

"No... No, I have to go." Robyn was sick to her stomach, choking in the words as she tried to make him understand that leaving was the only option. "If I stay, if it happens to any of you—what am I supposed to do about that, Cye? I have to get out of here!"

By then, Kento and Regan were at the bedroom doorway, and both looked alarmed at Robyn's last statement. Cye continued to try to talk sense to her, his own panic at her running out the door showing through. Ryo was the calmest one. His training kicked in. He didn't hear Robyn's words, he just noticed her shaking, her labored breathing. She was having a panic attack. She didn't want to leave them; she was just so very, very scared.

He stepped into her space and cupped her face in both hands, forcing her to gaze up at him. "Robyn, look at me. I need you to breathe," he said in a slow, quiet voice. "Breathe in slow, breathe out slow, like me, okay? Don't think of anything else, just breathe."

The two breathed together, Robyn still trembling and pale, Ryo rock steady and calm. In and out in tandem, Ryo in her space, making her world feel smaller, safer. After a few minutes, her heart rate and breathing went back to normal. Ryo could feel the pulse slow in her temples and see her eyes return to normal and lose their glossy, panicked look. "Good," he murmured. "Keep breathing, and keep those thoughts away for now. Empty them out, and know you're safe right now."

Regan watched them closely the entire time; suddenly her opinion of Ryo was a little different. The care and consideration he showed, the gentle way he touched her, was enough to put a lump in her throat. She was so absorbed she didn't hear the door or Mia and Rowen enter. Rowen's hand on her shoulder got her attention, but when it looked like he was about to speak, his eyes immediately drawn to the blood stains on Robyn's clothes, Rae shook her head and put a finger to her lips to indicate not now; let them finish.

After Robyn's attack had ebbed, Ryo pulled her into him, embracing her tight and rubbing her back. "There, that's better. I know you're scared, but it's going to be okay. As long as we all stick together, it's going to be okay. I promise."

Her face remained pressed into his chest as her hands slowly rose up to cling to the shirt material at his sides. "What if I brought this to us?" she whispered into him, some of those toxic thoughts returning. "What if this is all my fault?"

"No," Ryo insisted gently. "It's not your fault. How could it be?"

"It's everyone's fault," Cye announced, moving closer to them, close enough so he and Ryo caged her in a comforting cocoon with their bodies. "It's all our faults. We all went there when we shouldn't have. We all woke it up. We are all in this together. We are all trying to protect each other and any of us could get hurt at any time and that's just the way it is. It doesn't mean we leave. It means that we stick together even tighter."

Robyn was silent for several moments, and then mumbled "sorry" in a soft voice.

Kento stepped further into the room. "Hey, it's okay to get scared. We all get scared. Just don't run off without us, yeah? I don't know if I could handle you doing that again."

She pulled away from Wildfire and Torrent and looked at him, her expression one of regret. She could never take back that moment where she ran away all those years ago. Only now did she realize that one act now made them a bit paranoid that she would disappear on them at the drop of a hat. She never wanted to do that to them again. Thankfully, they were here to stop her until she could think rationally again.

Regan snuck in and patted her on the back; Sage remained watching silently in the doorway, with Mia hovering nearby. "Better?"

She rubbed her face. "Yeah, I'm better, I guess. I..." The guilt flooded in, the horrible knowledge that this would all happen again and it was possible anyone would get hurt the next time around. And there was nothing she could do about it. "Yeah. I'll be okay." A burst of laughter fell out. "I guess I get the prize for handling mine the worst, huh?"

Kento dropped a heavy arm on her shoulders and steered her out. "Yeah, but we won't hold it against you."

"Did you miss the part where I screamed like a little girl and rage dialed Sage two dozen times when my monster came knocking?" Rowen asked to lighten the mood, although his eyes were full of questions he aimed at his leader and Kento as they all headed to the main living area.

"I make Rowen go to the bathroom with me at work," Mia said. Then immediately blanched when Cye gave her a look of shocked surprise. "Not that way! He waits outside!"

Rowen smirked and wrapped an arm around Robyn's shoulders for a squeeze as he said, "Sure I wait outside."

"Something you wanna tell me, Hashiba?" Rae asked dryly.

Robyn's laughter burst like a dam. It felt good to make light of their situation, but the undercurrent remained; unseen, but swift and liable to take any one of them down at any moment. None had ever been more acutely aware of it.

* * *

That feeling lingered well into the night. Robyn lay on her side in bed, and although her body had now calmed, a dull dread remained. It was hard to banish the thoughts of next time, and it didn't matter that her was skin was now smooth again, thanks to Sage. Her bloodied clothes were in the trash; she had no interest in saving them to wear again.

The door to her room opened, and the mattress depressed as someone climbed in and handed over a water bottle that Robyn took with a thank you. "Want a light on?" Regan asked softly.

"No, that's okay."

The brunette slipped under the covers, and the pair faced one another in the dark, brightened only by moonlight. Robyn didn't want to admit it, but she was glad to have her friend here and not in the other bedroom. It was Kento staying the night this time; she worried that he felt guilt over what happened today, too, and that it had prompted him to immediately offer, but it was nice, too, knowing that he was just in the other room.

"Talk about it?" Regan whispered.

Robyn shook her head. "I can't stand the thought of any of you getting hurt. It's one thing when it's just…after you, you know?"

Rae nodded.

"I feel kind of dumb for flipping out."

"Don't. Panic attacks exacerbate even the smallest thing. This wasn't a small thing. Don't be so hard on yourself." She smiled a little. "Ryo knew exactly what to do, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he's good at his job."

"He's good with you."

Robyn shifted and drew the covers up a little more. "I guess."

"I think I'm okay with you crushing on this one. Ryo's a good man. I wish he'd open his eyes and see what's right in front of him."

The redhead sighed noisily. "Thanks for your permission." Her friend laughed softly. "I do not want or need a boyfriend, Rae. This timing is so bad, and I'm just so not comfortable with looking at any of them that way. Even though I stupidly can't help it with Ryo. For now."

"I understand, I suppose. You're already one of Kento's whores, anyway. Conflict of interest. Or _is_ it?"

Robyn gaped at her, and then burst into giggles.

Both gasped and stilled when a floorboard creaked, and Robyn's door creaked open. A large, muscular frame filmed the doorway. "I think we're having entirely too much fun in here, girls."

"Want to have a sleepover?" Regan asked. "Since you refused the perfectly good bed in my room?"

"That tiny thing? Naw; floor suits me better. I can come in if you ladies don't mind the company. And the mild snoring." Truth be told, every time he nearly fell asleep out there, he could have sworn he heard the dry, skittering movement of a bony spider's leg. On the walls. The ceiling. In the kitchen. Kento couldn't sleep out there if he tried.

Robyn almost carried on the joke, but heard something off in his tone. Regan must have heard it, too. They exchanged a glance. "Bring in your stuff, Kento, of course you can."

Hardrock made a nest on the floor at Robyn's side of the matress, barely fitting in the small bedroom, but the extra body only made it feel cozier and safer. The trio talked in the dark for awhile longer, all three able to relax and rest after reassuring each other with one another's voices. The room then became a temporary safe zone in their minds, as their monsters lurked and paced somewhere outside of its door.

Waiting.


	12. Chapter 11

**Urban Legend**

 **Chapter 11**

She didn't think visiting the construction site again would bother her, and it hadn't on the way there. The group as a whole was not pleased when Regan texted them that she had to return to the site, and she sent them an optimistic message and meant it. She was fine all the way to the entrance…until she walked with her team to the elevator. Down the long, long stretch of hallway past the apartments.

Nothing will happen, Regan assured herself. You know better now, and you won't separate from the group. She firmly ignored each open doorway and put her focus on what they were talking about, and took notes, and didn't realize she'd been holding in a breath until she sighed deeply to let it out when they were safely in the elevator, headed for the rooftop.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened up there, either. The construction was coming along, and there were only minor issues with the plumbing systems that needed to be reported. And the view was pretty to boot, too. A view she had missed entirely the first time around.

The ride down and the walk back through was uneventful, and Regan felt even lighter as they went back to their cars. Her coworkers joked about her walking into traffic—all that reading while walking makes a body a mite too confident, eh?—and they made it to their cars.

"Lunch at that pop up restaurant down the road?" Hiyori asked her as she got in the passenger side of Regan's car. They had made an earlier visit to the site, and a few of them carpooled from the office.

"Yes please, I've wanted to try them all week." Regan started the car, both women sighing when the air conditioning kicked on. She glanced at the rearview mirror to check behind her.

A girl sat in her backseat. With a blank, smooth, featureless face that seemed to look directly at Regan through the mirror.

Regan yelped and whipped around, one hand flying to her mouth as the fear and surprise hit her like a blow to the chest.

The backseat was empty.

"What?" Hiyori gasped, turning around to inspect, too.

Regan took in deep, gasping breaths, her heart still beating wildly. The hand pressed to her chest shook. "I…thought I saw something," she finally said breathlessly. "I was wrong. Oh, god, it scared the hell out of me, though."

"What was it?"

She forced herself to laugh as she said, "Just at a glance it looked like someone was sitting in my backseat. In the mirror. Silly."

Her coworker laughed with relief. Regan's hands didn't stop shaking until they were at the office.

She didn't mention it to any of the others. Everyone already had enough to worry about, and what good would it do to tell them that she might have seen her monster in the backseat of her car, but it had done nothing to her?

Regan didn't mention it, either, when she thought she saw the thin, black-haired, faceless girl when she and Robyn were at a specialty grocery store the next day. At the end of the aisle, watching her. It disappeared the moment Regan looked, and a young woman pushing a cart took her place. Or when she thought she saw her out of the corner of her eye in the lobby of the design firm, sitting in a chair. Every time Regan looked, she disappeared like a phantom, and Rae didn't know if she was losing her mind or genuinely seeing the girl.

The sightings quieted while Kento stayed with them, and she was glad to be able to focus on Robyn and forget about it for awhile. The morning Kento decided to head back home, they all adapted their new normal routines; Regan dropped off Robyn right in front of her work, and Rowen got a ride from Mia that day.

Regan threw herself into work, and ended up eating a quick lunch at her desk while she finished revisions on an architectural draft on her laptop. She was so focused that her food went cold, and finished it quickly when she realized over an hour had passed. As she glanced at the clock, she noticed that the door to the small closet in her office was open a few inches.

And the faceless girl stood just beyond in the darkness.

The brunette froze and the swift, visceral response of both fear and survival kicked in. On reflex, she shoved energy at the girl creature hiding in her closet and the door slammed shut. Regan sat there for several silent moments, staring at the closet door, the monster trapped inside. What was she supposed to do now? Half of her just wanted to walk out and never come back. But the other half had to know.

Slowly, she stood from her chair. Breath held, she walked over to the closet, hand trembling as she reached for the doorknob. You don't have to do this, she told herself. You can just walk away. But the stubborn part of her refused to give in to fear. The fact that this girl kept stalking her, showing up as she pleased, was irritating. What gave this creature the right to haunt her like this? How dare it! The next time it showed up, she should just throw all her power at it and knock that girl on her _ass_.

With that surge of indignation, she gripped the handle and jerked the door open, ready to launch a psychic wave. The closet was empty. Regan stumbled backward and dropped into her chair, her entire body shaking with relief that nothing was there. Despite her anger, she had no real desire to fight this thing. She barked out a laugh that sounded close to a sob before gathering her work and fleeing the office.

She worked in the company kitchen for the rest of the day, and all but flew out of there as soon as she was caught up on work. And normally driving to pick up Rowen and Robyn was something she enjoyed—she loved driving, listening to music when she was alone, and talking with them when the car was full—but now every look into the rear view mirror made her heart jump with fear at what she might see.

"Nice bowtie," Regan said, and meant it as Rowen got in the car.

He flashed her a grin. "You like? It's got _planets_."

She leaned over to inspect, an answering grin tugging at her lips as she tugged at the bowtie. "You're such a dork. I love it."

Rowen used her close proximity as an opportunity to steal a quick kiss, but he also caught the distracted look in her eyes, quickly taking in the way she was holding herself and how her gaze assessed everything around them warily. She was genuinely happy to see him, but underneath that veneer was one unsettled girl.

"Talk to me," he ordered as she pulled away from the curb.

She sighed. "Back at the house. I don't want to bring it up in the car."

* * *

One by one they left, the open and airy spaces growing stiller and stiller as bodies no longer filled the rooms with sound and movement. One by one he shut off the lights, and locked the door behind the last student helper.

Sage gave the windows facing the parking lot a pensive stare before he turned away to his office.

A noise from the back of the dojo made him tense, and he walked to the back on light, bare feet, absently grabbing a shinai from the storage closet on his way down the hall. His grip was light, but as he drew closer, adrenaline coursed through his body and tightened his muscles to ready him for anything.

He turned the corner as a familiar head of black hair poked out from an opening shoji partition of one of the rooms for private lessons, the slender figure huffing as she slung a bag over her shoulder and slipped out into the hall.

"Hey!" she called to him when she saw him, and then her brows rose. "I'm sorry, did I startle you?"

Sage let out a quiet breath. "Satsuki. I thought you had gone home before the last session."

"I had some course work to finish up, so I thought I'd use one of the empty rooms and get it done. I lost track of time." His younger sister smiled winningly at her older brother as she came up to him. "Can I get a ride home?"

Unease rippled through Halo at the thought of bringing her outside in the dark and potentially exposing her to the urban legend that had chosen him, were it to decide to show up when he was with her. Robyn's creature had proven that they didn't care if there was an audience. Yet he very well couldn't send Satsuki off by herself, or insist she call their father when he was perfectly capable of taking her home, without arousing suspicion. The less he was watched, the safer his family was.

 _Besides, what sort of warrior are you if you can't protect your own flesh and blood during the fifteen minutes it takes to get home?_ Sage squared his shoulders. "Of course. I need a minute in my office first."

Satsuki followed her brother down the hall, idly noting that he hadn't relaxed much even after he saw it was her. He _always_ looked rather intense and serious, but there was a particular…weight to his gaze and the way he carried himself lately. He said nothing as he sat down to finish some papers, and Satsuki perched on the armrest of a chair, smiling a little when he lifted a disapproving eyebrow at her.

She was about to ask him how his friends were doing, how Robyn was, and if she could meet Rowen's new girlfriend (he might not have directly told her about them, but she was on social media and so were they—the only way she knew anything about his life outside of work and home was through a little cyberstalking and she had no shame), when Sage preempted her as if he knew she was going to get personal. "What class are you studying for?" She sighed and told him, wishing for once that her brother wasn't such a closed book.

They walked out together into the lamp lit parking lot and toward Sage's car. She noticed, again, that his shoulders were tense, and his gaze wandered deliberately. Satsuki has been raised in the kendo culture, and although she practiced only for fun, Sage did not. She knew ready for trouble when she saw it. Instead of asking, she watched, too, and saw nothing but an empty parking lot and a halfheartedly busy road, heard nothing but cicadas singing the end of summer and the distant hum of traffic.

When they approached the car she climbed in, but Sage stood for a moment longer by the driver's side door, looking at something in the distance. Satsuki opened her door a crack. "Sage?" she asked softly.

He seemed to shake himself, then got in. And immediately checked the backseat. Then put his keys in the ignition, paused as if to collect himself, or as if he were bracing himself for something, and then turned the key. The engine purred to life. Her brother looked a few degrees calmer at that, and they headed home.

"Is everything okay?" Satsuki finally asked. Somewhere among those tense minutes, she had started clutching her bag until her fingers ached. His quiet paranoia was catching.

Sage looked at her at a stoplight. "It will be," he said. His eyes shifted to a point above and past her, and her brother inhaled sharply, his eyes widening. Fear struck Satsuki like a knife, and she whipped around to look.

There was nothing but the curb and the sidewalk along side of the road, a few people walking past. Satsuki lurched forward as he punched the gas the moment the light turned green. "Sage, what's wrong?" Satsuki cried. "You're scaring me."

"I thought I saw something, and I might have been mistaken," Sage said calmly, although he didn't _sound_ as calm as normal. He checked the rear view mirror a few times, but said nothing more as they traveled the short distance home. It wasn't until they were in the driveway and he was escorting her inside that he spoke again. "Don't stay late at the dojo anymore for a little while," he said quietly, his hands on her upper arms. "I can't explain to you why. I need you to trust me."

Satsuki's heart hammered, but she nodded and whispered, "Okay." The question of whether he was all right trembled on her tongue, but she knew he wouldn't be altogether truthful if he wasn't. He looked so dreadfully serious again, self-contained, grappling with something she couldn't fathom. On impulse, Satsuki hugged her brother hard around the waist, and then hurried inside the house.

Sage shut the door behind her and stepped back out onto the driveway. He paced by the car, more determined than ever to ensure that nothing followed them back. He had felt watched in the parking lot of the dojo, and thought he saw the shadow of a figure with long hair just outside of the light of a street lamp.

He had not imagined what he saw at the stop light.

Over his sister's head had been the figure of a woman, bent at an unnatural angle as she stood on the sidewalk and peered into the car at him; head tilted, mouth opened wide in a grin from literal ear-to-ear. Her tiny, long, sharp teeth gleamed. Before she could move or do anything else, the light had thankfully turned; he was going to run it if she stepped off the curb and toward the car.

Now, he waited to see if it followed.

Nothing seemed or felt out of the ordinary as he paced the front of the Date family estate, even around the sides by the carefully manicured shrubbery. Lights were on in the kitchen; he could faintly hear his father conversing with his mother, could smell dinner cooking. He walked back to the drive and stood with his arms folded, brooding at the road as the spotting on the way home continued to trouble him.

With a roll of his shoulders, he finally ended his vigil to retreat inside. A figure on the other side of the car stopped him in his tracks; a slender figure with long, black hair.

"Satsuki?" he tested. "I told you to stay inside."

No answer. Heart pounding, Halo walked slowly around the front of the car to face the figure. She didn't move, and her head was bowed just enough for her hair to cover her features.

"Leave these grounds," he said flatly. "Don't ever show up here again."

He thought he heard a dry, crackling sound that might have been a laugh. The woman's head lifted. Her eyes were inky black pools; her teeth gleamed from the wide, wide toothy grin she gave him.

"Do you think I'm pretty?" she asked innocently.

Sage jumped back when she lunged at him, steady on his feet and already anticipating the long reach of her arms and the deadly, delicate weapon in her hand. He narrowly missed a slice to the face as she advanced, and shoved back his fear to take a more offensive approach. He watched the movement of her feet and the swing of her arms as she backed him around the front of the car, and once he deduced a pattern, he made a grab for an arm as he had before. He snatched a forearm and grit his teeth at the repulsive, hot leathery skin under his fingers. This time, he jerked her arm to throw her off balance, then swept a kick to her legs to knock her off her feet. With an inhuman screech she went down, and Sage immediately slammed his foot onto another arm, hearing the fine bones crunch underneath his shoe.

Triumph coursed through him, but screeched to a halt when her other hand jerked out of his grip with inhuman strength and the scalpel sliced down his arm, biting into his skin underneath his shirt and dragging downward. The pain momentarily distracted him, and the woman writhed unnaturally on the ground and sprung back up, jerking her arm free from under his shoe.

Terror came rushing back as the blade went for his throat, but Sage did his damnedest to ignore it and remember his training, because he would not be taken down by an urban legend on his parent's driveway. He went in low and charged her to grapple her to the ground again, a growl emitting from his throat.

And he charged at air.

Sage caught himself and whirled around, breathing heavily. She was gone. A faint skittering of tiny legs, or maybe just the rustling of leaves, tickled his ear. But there was nothing else.

He dragged a hand through his hair, almost went inside, and then stopped himself. He couldn't go in there in the state he was in, not with the cut and the blood on his shirtsleeve. Sneaking to his room without questions from Satsuki or his parents would be impossible. The blond pulled out his phone and texted Rowen. _Where are you?_

The reply was swift. _At the girls' place. Come over if you want, we just ordered food. Lots of it._

Halo mulled it over for less than a minute. _I'll be right there._

* * *

It was still another hour before the restaurant closed, but Kento was already done for the day since he had been there since six that morning. The rich smells and heat and noise from the kitchen followed him up as he climbed the back steps to the small apartment that was situated on the tiny top floor of the building.

In his youth, various other extended family members had used the apartment while being employed by the family business. After Kento's first and only year of college, the apartment had become vacant and Kento, deciding there wasn't anything school-wise he wanted to do with his time, quit college and moved into the apartment. He was practically the manager of the place now. His parents were certainly happy to let him take more responsibilities so they could work less.

It wasn't what he thought he would be doing with his life, but Kento did it very well. Running a business suited him and brought out organization and leadership skills that had otherwise remained dormant during his younger years. Though he found it to be satisfying work and a nice living, it was tough at times. There were days when he would be there from early in the morning until well after close that night. Luckily, this night, both his parents were present and promised him a night off so he could get some much needed sleep.

Kento very much appreciated it. His mornings at the restaurant were early and his nights were haunted with worry and trepidation. Sleep didn't come too easily these days and he was happy to flop onto his worn bed at an early hour and pass out until the sun rose.

After pulling off his work uniform, a quick sniff of himself told him a shower would be good before bed. He wandered into the bathroom in his work slacks and a white t-shirt, rubbed his face and gazed at himself in the mirror. This whole monster deal wore on him and it showed. No wonder his mother chased him out of work that night. These creatures didn't need to appear every night, they merely had to be and it slowly chipped away at his sleep and his sanity.

He turned on the water in the shower, which was really just a tub with a shower curtain around it. As the water warmed and he was about to remove his shirt, something with a fine point trailed up the back of his neck.

His head jerked up and he stumbled back, wide-eyed at the monstrosity on his bathroom ceiling. _Where the hell had this thing come from?!_ It wasn't there a second ago. He certainly would have noticed a massive woman-spider in his tiny bathroom when he walked in. Kento was frozen as he stared at it: the swollen abdomen swirled in colors of black, white, and yellow, the eight spindly legs stretched out around the walls and ceiling, twitching and moving. She took up the entire ceiling. The head on human shoulders slowly rotated backward to look at him with wide and solid gray eyes. The mouth grinned impossibly wide, spider-like mandibles sticking out of full, feminine lips.

The bathroom filled with steam from the shower as they stared at one another.

For a moment, Kento harbored the hope that this thing would act the same as last time: just sit there scaring the shit out of him, but otherwise not move, and he would be able to inch his way out unmolested. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case.

The woman-spider made a noise that was a half squeal, half human scream as it fell from the ceiling and lunged for him. The bathroom was hardly large enough for the two to fit, let alone attack each other. Kento stumbled back and immediately collided with the wall. The heavy spider body landed on top of him, legs scrambling everywhere, and Kento screamed as he flailed. The shower curtain and rod were pulled down with a crash as the two bodies clawed at each other. Water went everywhere.

Kento slipped on the slick floor, nearly crawling on hands and knees as he scrambled out of the bathroom. The bedroom was only slightly bigger, but there were more weapons at the warrior's disposal. The second he caught his balance, Kento grabbed a 60 pound free weight lying on the floor and chucked it through the bathroom door. There was a soft thunk of it hitting flesh and then a sharper twang of broken porcelain that made Kento cringe. He hoped he didn't break anything too substantial.

The spider thing screamed in pain and rushed into the bedroom, the long, spindly limbs propelling it forward. Kento lunged for the bed, shoving his hand under the pillow where he had been keeping a short-bladed tantō ever since this monster business began. The creature was on him as he landed on the mattress, her long nails scratching along his cheek as he rolled over, blade in hand. Those spider legs were _everywhere_. It was like she had twenty of them and every one made Kento's skin crawl when it brushed against his skin. He stabbed upward, aiming for the part of the torso where the human and spider forms connected.

The monster jerked back from the blade, its flesh being pierced, but it was not a fatal stab. Still, it was enough to draw blood and send the creature lurching backward in pain. It screamed at him as Kento advanced, slicing the dagger at it. Blood sprayed the room.

With one last angry hiss, the monster retreated. The bedroom had but one tiny window that could barely open more than a foot. The monster slid the window up and deflated before Kento's eyes as if it were a balloon losing its form. Then, it was sucked out the window and disappeared into the night.

Kento was left standing on his bed, bloody dagger in hand, his room a mess, his bathroom soaked as the hot water continued to run all over.

From below, his mother's angry voice called from down the stairs. "Kento, we can hear you! What the hell are you doing up there?!"

* * *

"I still can't believe it showed up at your house!" Robyn marveled. For some reason, she wasn't that floored about Mia's monster in their bathroom. But one of those things showing up at the Date estate—the place that had housed generations of master swordsmen—seemed like trespassing on hallowed ground. She, Regan, and Rowen had all listened to Sage tell them about his second encounter with his slit-mouthed monster.

"It better not show up again," Sage frowned, still very put out by it all. His hand brushed his now healed arm. The sleeve was still torn and bloody, rolled up above his elbow.

As he spoke, there was a heavy knock on the door. Robyn answered it to a wide-eyed Kento. The disheveled warrior of Hardrock held a travel bag over his shoulder, and there was blood on his damp clothes.

"Kento!" Robyn blurted at his appearance. They weren't expecting him, were they?

"That's it, I am done with that place!" Kento announced as he stepped in. "I quit! My parents can fire me, disown me, I don't even care."

"Kento?" Robyn called as she chased after him into the house.

He tossed his bag into a corner as he stomped into the kitchen/dining room area. The trio still remained at the table staring at him, frozen at his sudden, wild-eyed, disheveled appearance. "I'm not going back there. That whole building is cursed!"

"You seriously quit your job?" Rowen asked.

"Kento," Robyn said, trying to catch his shirt as he gestured wildly.

"It was in my fucking bedroom this time you guys! I can never go home again!"

"Kento, are you bleeding?" Sage asked in a calm voice.

"What?" Hardrock balked and looked down at the blood splatters on his white shirt. "No, this isn't mine. Bitch didn't know I had a knife in my room. I got her."

Rowen's eyebrows rose. "You did?" Both he and Sage were very interested now as they moved closer to hear the story.

"Don't think I killed it, but they do bleed and you can hurt them. She ran like a bat outta hell when I started fighting back."

"Ryo was able to kill the naga, so there's no reason to think the others can't be killed," Rowen mused out loud, hope in his voice.

"If we kill the others, chances are each one of these marks will also disappear as we take them out as well," Sage reasoned, rubbing his neck.

"The trick is catching them long enough to take them out. They come and go so fast."

"Yeah, she went out the window, just like…fucking _shrunk_ and disappeared." Kento let out a shaking breath and scrubbed his hand through his hair. "It didn't stay for a fight, and I sure as hell wasn't following it."

Since Robyn hadn't been able to get a word in among the excited warriors, she quietly fetched a wet cloth from the sink and went back to Kento, touching it to the visible scratch on his face.

"Ow!" he hissed, jerking away.

"You don't want it to get infected," Robyn chastised. "Are you sure you didn't get hurt anywhere else?"

"Yeah, pretty sure. Just some bumps and bruises."

Sage stepped forward, reaching for his face. "I can take care of that."

Feeling claustrophobic from all the attention, Kento floundered, causing everyone to back up a bit. "Just give me some space for a second, I'm still freaking out here!" He glanced over at Robyn, who had moved back to the sink. "By the way, I'm just going to live here now. I hope that's okay."

"I noticed."

"Not that it's necessary," Rowen said. "Protecting the girls is already my job."

"Yeah, I feel so protected when you're sleeping in Regan's room," the redhead retorted.

"I can still protect you both!"

"Tuesdays are Taco Tuesday," Regan informed Hardrock.

"With video games," Robyn piped in.

"And sometimes nachos. Garbage goes out on Thursdays."

"Are you kicking me out?" Rowen asked.

"Four's a little crowded," Robyn said apologetically, although Rowen doubted the sincerity of her tone.

"Well we're not kicking _him_ out," Rae added, gesturing to the still shaken-up, ranting warrior of Hardrock. At Rowen's offended look, she soothed, "Of course you can still stay if you want.

"Or not," Robyn said.

"Kento, why are you soaking wet?" Sage asked.

"I was about to get in the shower when she was just suddenly _in_ my bathroom. I don't know how it happened. Just one blink and suddenly there's a spider monster sticking to my ceiling where it hadn't been before. My whole bathroom got trashed. There was water everywhere."

Rowen grinned. "Were you naked when you fought her?"

"No, Rowen, I was not naked," Kento snarled. "Thank the Buddha." He paused when he noticed all the containers on the small table. "Is that take out?"

Regan offered him one of the boxes she had in her hands. "Hungry? We bought plenty."

He hadn't been. Not until he had fought for his life and then ran like a complete coward from the place where he lived. "Starving." He grabbed the food from her and a pair of chopsticks and immediately began shoveling food in his mouth. In his pocket, his cell phone rang and he hardly missed a beat between feeding himself and placing the phone between his ear and shoulder. "Yeah?" Pause. "Yeah, I'm all right." Another pause. "No, it was in my friggin' apartment, Cye! It just appeared out of nowhere!" He turned and started to wander down the hall with his food and his phone, explaining the harrowing encounter all over again.

Regan grinned after him. "He is _so_ mad. Don't tell him I find his anger amusing."

"We all think it's funny when he's mad," Rowen assured her.

"What we should be is concerned," Sage said softly. "That's three. Three different attacks in one day. They're getting bolder, stronger."

"I don't know if I would call mine attacks," Regan said, pilfering food from a second container. Robyn took a seat at the table next to her, but made no attempt to eat. "This girl just shows up. It's scary that she appears out of nowhere, like in my _car_ , but she doesn't try to hurt me or anyone else. Maybe mine's harmless."

Both warriors frowned at her.

"We'd have a better chance at assessing that if you actually told people when she showed up," Rowen accused. "I think everything's fine and it turns out you've seen her like half a dozen times. Woman, you've got to _tell_ me these things."

"But she doesn't do anything," Regan argued. "What good does worrying you do when she just disappears?"

"You don't know if these sightings are leading to anything. It's dangerous to make assumptions," Sage said, clearly irritated with her blasé attitude. "You shouldn't let your guard down.

"I'm not," Regan assured. Then she smirked into her food. "If she does try something, she's going to get more than she bargained for. I think I'll be okay."

Sage visibly sighed, but didn't say anything. He cast a meaningful glance Rowen's way. Regan was his girlfriend; let him chastise her for not taking this seriously. Rowen shrugged at him. Sage frowned. Regan watched their nonverbal communication with unabashed amusement.

"If this is the worst that one does, you won't hear me complain," Robyn said sincerely to her friend. "Maybe you did luck out and get the harmless, spooky one."

Rowen and Sage simultaneously looked at the redhead. If Regan was the lucky one, Robyn was the complete opposite. The truth was, hers scared the hell out of them more than any of the other monsters. Kento and Regan had both been there when Robyn was attacked and there wasn't a thing they could do about it. To watch someone's skin just split and bleed before one's eyes with no apparent source was terrifying.

Both Rowen and Sage hoped that monster, out of all that had appeared, would not attack again. Even though they knew it was just a matter of time. Everyone agreed; this one was the deadliest. This one could kill the easiest. One good, deep slice to the throat and she would be gone. It was amazing that Robyn still functioned as normally as she did. She still went to and from work without hesitation, remaining unchaperoned most of the day. Despite her initial freak out, Robyn was one tough cookie when she needed to be.

"What we should be doing is trying to think of a way to go on the offense," Rowen said. "All we do is wait for attacks. There has to be a way to make them come to us on our terms. It might be possible to kill every one of these things if we can just figure out a way to predict their attacks."

"But... there's just so many," Robyn said. "And they're so different. How are we supposed to get rid of them all?"

"We can't let ourselves get overwhelmed with the numbers. What we need to do is take it one creature at a time. We try to figure out if they have a pattern, if there really is a way to predict when they're going to show. Focus on one until it's dead and then move to another."

"Easier said than done," Sage said.

Rowen glanced at him, hearing Kento's voice still talking loudly down the hall. A plan was already forming in his brain.

* * *

The conversation at the girls' house sent Rowen's brain into action. He had been right about finding the most predictable of the monsters and aiming for that first. And there was one of them that was specifically tied to certain areas. His.

He thought about not telling anyone about his plans at first. But if something went wrong, if something happened he was not prepared for and his plans went awry, the others would surely let him have it for blatantly scoffing in the face of everyone else's attempts to stay safe. So Rowen brought Sage in on his plan at the last minute.

They did not speak of it out loud. Rowen wasn't sure how well these monsters tracked them, but they always seemed to know when their targets were alone—even inside a building. So, while attending to all his other paperwork at the university, Rowen silently slipped Sage a brief e-mail, explaining his plan. Less than an hour later, Sage responded in text, saying he was in and he would be there. The whole thing would be going down that night.

He told Regan he would be working late and would find another ride home. Rowen was, indeed, working late when he walked by himself back to the train station near the university when he was first attacked. He did his best to seem unconcerned with the late hour and how alone he was that night, but his clear blue eyes remained sharp and alert.

Down the concrete steps to the underground platform he went and, just like before, it was eerily quiet and he was the only one heading down to the subway. No one came up, and no one rushed past him to make their train. Rowen could feel it—energy was brewing. Something was swirling, gathering power in order for something to occur. He had timed it just right.

As he waited on the empty platform, Rowen pulled out his phone. Sage was here somewhere, as he promised he would be. They did not meet anywhere before he came here. Rowen had to make sure he looked completely alone when he arrived. Sage was somewhere up above, waiting; letting Rowen appear to be alone.

As he fiddled with his phone, Rowen set Sage's number ready to call should anything happen. He then slipped the device back in his pocket, his finger on the call button, ready to push it at any time. And continued to wait.

The platform was devoid of life, as if he had stumbled upon the set of a post apocalyptic movie where most of humanity had been wiped out. He could hear the escalators humming quietly, carrying no passengers because none were coming. It felt dead, abandoned—yet, haunted in some way. Something restless stirred in the darker corners. Watching. Rowen could feel it. Though nothing happened as the minutes ticked by. What was it waiting for? What if the train came? Should he get on? If he didn't get on, would that break the cover of his plans? Would that even matter to this thing?

 _Come on, you're just dying to come out, aren't you?_ Rowen mentally urged. He stopped looking around and leaned against a pillar, watching the ground. He didn't really need to keep a sharp eye out as long as he was listening. That dragging sound would come and give the thing away. Those sharp nails digging into the concrete to pull the body along. He suppressed a shudder.

 _Teke teke._

His head shot up in the direction of the sound. It took the bait. It was coming for him. Despite hearing the tell-tale scraping of nails, Rowen couldn't get a visual on her yet. He held back in calling for Sage. Halo might barrel in blindly too early and scare the creature off. These things liked to come out when their prey was alone, and he had a feeling this was the best shot they had at pulling this off.

In the distance, a light bulb flickered and went out, plunging the tiled floor, the walls, and the yawning, empty train track into darkness. When it flickered back on, something black and ragged was crouched on the ground. Black flecks of darkness or blood splattered around it as if it had dropped from the ceiling and shook loose ectoplasmic liquid or some other supernatural, viscous substance.

A grayish, clammy arm reached forward and dug into the concrete with ragged nails, pulling the living corpse forward. It left a trail of blackish grime in its wake. Nails _click, click, clicked_ before the body dragged itself along.

Rowen's heart jumped and fluttered like a moth caught in a glass jar. Every impulse in his brain told him to run. It wasn't just the terrifying, gruesome scene before him; his instincts were screaming at him that he was standing before something very dangerous. Still, he held his ground and pressed the call button on his phone.

The creature halted its advance as Rowen turned to meet it, taking a step forward. This wasn't what happened last time; its victim wasn't fleeing in fear. Causing it confusion gave Rowen a small sense of satisfaction. Encouraged, he took another step closer, grinning.

"Come and get me."

The thing hissed angrily at him through rotted teeth, though seemed hesitant to come closer. Rowen motioned for the thing to come. It snarled again through its nearly-human mouth.

But then it changed.

The gray flesh on the limbs darkened to a chitinous texture; knobby, sharp joints bending outward and at odd angles. Something grew from the lower half of the body, slithering out like a snake tail as it sloughed off dead skin, yet there was a tiny dry sound of many tiny bug legs. The eyes on the face grew to three times their size, the nose fading away, the mouth now full of protruding mandibles.

Rowen stared as the warmth left his body. This wasn't the rumored vengeful soul of a woman killed on the train tracks—this wasn't the Teke Teke. This was some sort of creature that pretended to be like it. That shouldn't have changed anything; it didn't change the fact that Rowen was still standing on the platform with a creature of unnatural origin. Yet the realization hit him hard enough to catch him off balance as the creature suddenly lunged at him.

Stumbling back, Rowen lost his footing as he saw the gruesome body fall toward him. Even as he felt his subarmor trying to form on his body for protection, it didn't seem like it could manifest as fast as those beetle-like jaws were coming for him. Then, out of nowhere, another body met the monster in mid air, one wearing white and green armor. Sage bodily rammed himself into the thing, sending it flying with a screech. The body slid off the platform and out of sight to the tracks below.

Rowen, now in subarmor, was still standing in a frozen wince, staring wide-eyed at his friend.

"You okay?" Sage asked.

"Yes. Thank you for coming."

Sage jerked his head toward the drop a mere few feet away. A dry skittering noise could be heard on the tracks below. "Come on, we can't let it get away. Who knows if we'll get another chance like this."

The two approached the edge of the platform, hesitating at the ledge to look down. Nothing. Just the smear of a black trail leading into the subway tunnel. Neither one of them wanted to follow it into the blackness, but going into dark places to face otherworldly demons was all part and parcel of being a Ronin Warrior.

With a glance at each other, the two jumped down and carefully followed the trail, mindful of the uneven ground and the metal train tracks. The tunnel swallowed them whole and they were soon swaddled in absolute darkness.

"Can you do something about this?" Rowen whispered to Sage.

"What do you mean?" Sage whispered back.

"You know, how dark it is in here. Can't you... become a human flashlight or something?"

"I... don't think so."

Rowen's careful whisper took a harsher tone. "What good is your element of light if you can't use it for anything?"

Despite the pitch black, Rowen could feel the glare coming from his best friend. Sage opened his mouth to speak and felt the whoosh of something large fly past him as Rowen cried out in the darkness. Halo must have had at least a little influence on him, for Sage could still make out the forms thrashing around with each other.

The inhuman silhouette was completely focused on Rowen, the one it came for. The more it attacked, the bigger it grew, holding down the struggling Strata with its weight. There would be no time to call up armors. Sage swung with both fists, hitting the monster in the side with the hopes of knocking it over. The thing was too heavy, but as it turned to hiss at Halo, Rowen had enough distraction to kick it off him and jump to his feet.

The two ronins raced down the tunnel, the creature hot on their heels.

"We gotta call our armors," Rowen said breathlessly.

"That thing isn't going to give us enough time," Sage responded. Up ahead, light came toward them as the train neared and they stopped. "Neither is that."

Rowen stared down the incoming lights. Time was up. They needed to act now or it was all over. He turned to face the pursuing creature, which had also paused when it noticed the arrival of the train. The lights illuminated its form, growing brighter as it barreled closer. The creature no longer resembled anything like its first appearance. This swollen, hard and bug-like monster was its true form.

The creature must have also known its time was up, for it lunged at Rowen, using all its bodily force to knock Strata over and carry his armored body up the side of the tunnel. Sage was instantly on the monster, leaping in the air to land on its head as it bashed Rowen against the side of the tunnel. Sage kneed it in the head before being thrown off, and Rowen used the distraction to punch it in the mouth with his free arm. The lights grew brighter, bathing them all in artificial daylight as the train was nearly upon them.

Sage hugged the wall along the narrow space that would ensure they got out of this alive, then realized he wasn't followed. "Rowen, get out of there!" he yelled.

"I'm trying!" Strata complained as he continued to try to yank his arm out of the creature's mouth.

Sage made a grab for him and snatched a flailing arm. He yanked him up and over the tracks the best he could as the monster jerked in the opposite direction with Rowen's trapped arm. The horn of the subway train blared in their ears. The light was so bright they could barely see. Both warriors kicked at once, freeing Rowen and throwing the monster back onto the track. The horn blared again as the train rushed passed them, the stunned monster in its lights.

Rowen and Sage hugged the wall and felt the back spray of blood splatter their faces. The train roared away from them and stopped at its usual stop at the platform ahead, albeit much sooner, on account of it hitting something. They could hear the conductor issuing an emergency warning to its passengers. Carefully, the two ronins jogged around the back and peered up at the station. The few people that were there now had all gathered at the front of the train, inspecting the gooey mess. Rowen and Sage hopped back up onto the platform, unnoticed by the crowd, and headed up to Sage's car. Neither said a word until they sat inside and closed the doors behind them.

They were still in subarmor, freckled with blood. Rowen was visibly shaking, his eyes wide and electrified with adrenaline.

"We did it! It's gone! Sage, we _can_ kill these things!"

Sage said nothing. He was pale, even for the ronin Halo. The flecks of blood on his face looked nearly black against his complexion.

"Oh, wait! Check my mark!" Rowen leaned forward, exposing the back of his neck to his friend's view.

Sage brushed his fingers through the blue hair at his nape. "I don't see anything. It's gone."

"Yes!" Rowen sat up, fists clenched in determination. "We can beat these things, one at a time. We can do this."

Sage merely let out a long, shaky breath and started the car. He sure hoped they could.


	13. Chapter 12

**Urban Legend**

 **Chapter 12**

It was the most boring party of Robyn's life.

Not that she went to many parties. Or was much of a partier. But she'd been to enough house hootenannies in Oregon with Rae to know that this one could have used better music to get people in the giving mood. So maybe party was a loose term. It was more like a fundraiser gathering masquerading itself as a party, to entice more people to come and donate funds.

She did like the excuse to dress up a little to blend in with the crowd, and was pleased with how nice her outfit made her feel; a tasteful black skirt with a pretty top the color of apricots that she'd found in a thrift store in Portland last year. She'd done up her hair in a simple crown braid with some strands coiling around her ears, and put on a light touch of makeup. Any time Robyn caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror as she followed her company's clients around, she couldn't resist giving herself a small smile.

And yet, she couldn't help but wish she could pull this look off at an event that wasn't work related, and totally wasted on half drunk investors or representatives of local and national businesses who came to rub elbows and drop some cash for a cause, either out of the goodness of their hearts or for a tax write-off. Robyn's employer was making good use of her as a translator as many of their attendees were from Europe; England and Ireland, to be exact. They needed help making business connections because their Japanese was nonexistent. And it made for very boring conversation. Robyn found herself spacing off more than once.

"I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" she asked politely.

"Oh hell, don't repeat that," the man said, his faint flush accentuating the freckles on his face. "They don't need to know what arseways means."

She smothered a smile. "I would have cleaned it up."

" _You_ know our slang, aye?" another one asked. This group was a mixed bag—her freckled friend was very polite, if a little skittish, but some of them were getting drunker by the minute, and had been openly staring at her and making flirtatious comments. Like this one. Short dark hair, hazel eyes, a self-assured, arrogant smile that was a poor man's version of the kind of confidence that could look good on a guy; something Rae's brother could do, and Kento—even Rowen. "What else do you know?" he continued with a sly tone. He was standing a little too close, and Robyn took a step to the side.

"I have a friend who lived in Britain for awhile," was all she said.

"Tell them the evening got botched, but we'd like to reschedule," one of the other businessmen said, thankfully more interested in engaging these local business representatives than chatting up the translator.

Robyn turned to the small, patiently waiting group of reps from a local media company and translated. The rest of the conversation went smoothly, and she studiously ignored three of the younger clients talking among themselves and looking at her. She spotted the snack table, and longed to make a breakaway and snatch some of the artfully displayed hors d'oeuvres..

She could do it. This meet was winding down, and she was allowed breaks.

When the groups bowed to one another and Robyn translated the last few details of their scheduled meeting, she turned to the head of the client group and said, "I need just a few minutes before you speak with the next client, if that doesn't disrupt the schedule."

"No, not at all." The older, more practical, and very non-threatening head of the client group waved her off. "Take fifteen, grab a drink. We'll be here a while, God knows."

She thanked him and headed for the food…except she spotted the trio of younger clients breaking from their group and following her. Robyn sighed with irritation, and a little trepidation. She changed course, and headed to the ladies room instead, hiding in there for a few minutes until it looked like they wandered off in a different direction. Not for the first time, Robyn cursed her bright red hair for being such a beacon, and hoped they didn't see her slink off to the food.

She was hastily filling a small plate and sampling an amazing, soft cheese that tasted like hopes and dreams, when she heard a familiar, puzzled voice. "Robyn?"

Mouth still full of cheese, she turned. Her eyes widened. "Sage!"

He looked coolly elegant in a navy blue suit, white dress shirt, brown tie and shoes; as trendy as she'd ever seen him. The color of the suit made his eyes pop, and she took a moment to marvel at the picture he made. She was also so happy to see a familiar face that she wanted to hug him.

"You look great," she said honestly.

A ghost of a smile tugged at his lips before disappearing. "As do you. I've never seen you in that color. It suits you."

Robyn's cheeks warmed a little at the compliment.

"Are you working?" he asked.

She smiled at him.

"Dumb question?"

"Yes, Sage, all the movers and shakers of the city _and me_ got invited to this party."

She got a real smile this time. He fetched her some water, and they moved off to the side to let other people peruse the food while Robyn ate her fill.

"Representing the dojo?" she asked after eating a bacon-wrapped…something. Whatever it was, it was delightful.

"And the clan. Grandfather had a prior engagement, and trusted me to go in his stead."

Robyn gaped at him. "Sage, is this your first time with the training wheels off? Are you by yourself?"

Sage blinked at her, then coughed to cover what she suspected was a laugh. "You are in rare form tonight," he said dryly. She giggled. "This is the first time I've gone alone to a charity event like this, yes."

"I'm glad you're here," she said sincerely. "I have another four hours, at least, to tag along with the merry band of UK'ers, and some of them aren't the greatest to be around."

Sage frowned. "In what way?"

"Eh, just a little too interested in teasing the redheaded Japanese translator." He looked perturbed at that, irritation darkening his violet eyes, and she added, "I think they're just bored and have nothing better to do." She looked over at them, and then realized her time was about up. "And I have to go back." She threw away her plate, kept her water, and patted Sage in the arm. "I'll come find you when they let me off my leash."

She left them and rejoined the clients to discuss the next company reps they wanted to confer with. It started off fine; the conversation went well, and Robyn could focus on her job and not certain members of the group that were hanging back and enjoying the party aspect of the night instead of actually networking like they were supposed to. When the next client proved to have a firm grasp of English, Robyn was able to step back and have a small break.

"So what's a fine thing like you do when you're not attending shindigs for your job?"

Robyn's stomach clenched. The cocky brunette was smiling at her; his two friends were nearby. Before she could speak, the shorter, blonde added, "Do you party for fun?"

It took her a moment to untangle her tongue and come up with a response that wouldn't get her in trouble with her job. She badly wanted to tell them off for the offensive way they were speaking to her…but they were clients. She was working. The next best thing was to fall back on her job.

"I do not socialize with clients, if that's what you're asking," she said, as coolly as she could muster.

"Well that's a bore," the brunette tsked. He reached out to tug at a loose strand of her hair, and Robyn stepped back. They all laughed. "Come now, don't be shy. You've got to be bored out of your skull, following these suits around all night. Don't you want a real night on the town?"

"Pretty thing like you shouldn't work the night away," the taller man said, who'd been quiet thus far but his dark eyes had been practically undressing her the entire time.

For the first time, Robyn felt like this situation could escalate very badly. _What do I do now?_ Her heart thumped like a rabbit's as she tried to find an escape route out of this conversation and away from them. A simple, cold "excuse me" and just leaving could work, or she could threaten to tell their boss, or—

"Have you had your next break yet, dear?"

Robyn whirled around at the touch on her shoulder. Her wide eyes met Sage's. He looked over her at the three clients with a flat, chilly stare. "No," she said faintly. "Not yet."

"I can only imagine why," Sage said disapprovingly. "Why don't we get you something to drink."

"We've tried, mate, she won't take any," the brunette told him. He looked Sage up and down, sizing him up. Though of Japanse descent, Sage was taller, broader. Definitely far better looking. This rude foreigner certainly wouldn't beat him out of too many contests. Still, he wasn't backing down, and even took a possessive step toward Robyn.

Sage narrowed his piercing eyes at the other man. "Who, exactly, do you think I am?" he asked in a deadly soft voice.

The other blond cocked a finger at Sage. "This bloke your—"

"Boyfriend," Sage finished for him, putting an arm around Robyn's shoulders while her eyes widened a bit in surprise. "If you'll excuse us." He turned and led Robyn away.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Robyn let out a deep sigh, her tense shoulders dropping with relief. "Thank you so much. These guys are pretty important to my boss. I didn't know how to get out of that one without starting a conflict. I haven't worked for this company long enough where I would expect them to take my side over unruly clients."

"You should report them anyway." Sage threw another dark look in their direction. "They have no right to speak to you or treat you that way."

"That's easier said than done, Sage."

He gave her shoulder a light squeeze. "I know. I'll try to keep an eye on them for you, shall I?"

"I appreciate it. I'm lucky to have such a great boyfriend," she teased as she bumped her shoulder against his arm.

Sage's responding expression of amusement and endearment made Robyn glad she could call him her friend. It would have been great if the two of them could have just hidden in the corner for the rest of the party, but duty called and both had to constantly make themselves available for different reasons.

Robyn knew she needed to report in soon. There was to be a short, intimate meeting with a few special clients during the party and she was expected to attend and translate. Passing the hors d'oeuvres table again, she began looking for her boss. The thin sound of silverware scraping against itself reached her ears and made the hair at the back of her neck prickle.

 _Snickt._

She froze. No. Don't panic. You're safe here. There's too many people. There is no way that thing...

She felt something wet and warm run down her leg; dark red rivulets. Then came the pain from the stinging, deep slash in her thigh. An older woman nearby noticed the blood and let out strangled, horrified squeaks as she pointed.

 _Snickt. Snickt._

Robyn could hear the sound of those terrifying, deadly blades as if they were right next to her. A sharp gasp was startled from her as the second slice went up her back. A man standing next to her jumped back as he too caught part of the attack when the third slice nicked her arm. She stumbled forward, trying to dodge the attack, trying to figure out where it was coming from. This time, she couldn't locate the monster. There were too many people, the thing could have been anywhere in the crowd.

More screams came from those around her as random victims got in the way of the invisible attacks. People were bleeding, crying. No one knew what was going on. Another slice deep in her calf caused Robyn to stumble. She caught herself before she fell on her face. People were everywhere, they were getting hurt. Where was she supposed to go? How could she stop all these people from getting caught in the crossfire?

The next cut hit her so hard, she stumbled into the wall, clutching her side. This was worse than the first time. It had only been shallow cuts to her extremities. These were hitting harder, deeper. This thing was aiming for her body, not her limbs. She thought of her vulnerable throat and her hands instantly jumped up to cover her neck.

 _Snickt._

She hunched as she felt it hit. It got her in the arm so hard her body jerked back. Was it her imagination or did she feel it hit the bone? What if it hit her in the neck? What if her hands weren't enough to stop the next hit?

 _SNICKT._

Even though she couldn't pinpoint where the attacks were coming from, she felt it coming for her all the same. The deadly energy raced toward her and she braced for it. Then, a large, solid form stood in the way, wrapping his arms around her and blocking the attack with his body.

They both lurched forward as he was hit.

"Sage!" Robyn cried.

He held her tighter, bowing over to cover her with as much of his frame as he could. She felt him jerk forward as he was hit, again and again. She clutched him, screaming, "Sage! Sage stop!"

As she held him, she was acutely aware of an energy generating from his body. The power of Halo. It steadily built until it exploded out in all directions like a gust of wind. Everyone around felt it, startled by the sudden force. The attacks suddenly ceased. The thing with its terrifying invisible blades was gone.

Shaking, Robyn's legs lost all their strength and Sage slowly lowered her to the floor. His large hand pressed against the deep, open gash in her thigh, trying to staunch the blood loss. There was already a growing stain on the carpet as she seemed to bleed from everywhere. Red smudges adorned the wall behind her. All her blood. An older gentleman knelt on her other side, pressing a piece of cloth into her bleeding side.

Robyn was far away from them both, her mind racing. Both times her monster had attacked around other people. Unlike everyone else's, this one did not wait for her to be alone. It seemed to get some glee out of harming others that stepped in the way. And this encounter felt fueled by anger, maybe even desperation. Was this because Rowen had killed one of them?

Other attendees brought more cloths to help stop the bleeding from Robyn's several deep, open cuts. She didn't feel any pain, just the sense that life was slowly seeping out of her and it should probably be stopped. All she could do was sit there, too much in shock, feeling too detached from the situation to respond.

The motion of Sage's hand caught her attention and her eyes flicked over white blood covered digits. His subarmor had formed under his suit during the attack. Thank God. It probably took much of the brunt from when he shielded her. Hopefully, Sage wasn't hurt.

In time, the sound of sirens reached her ears. Emergency medical personnel entered the building and began to triage and treat those they found with injuries. A young, wide-eyed EMT was motioned over. His gray eyes met Robyn's and she recalled thinking he looked like he felt way in over his head. Probably not from the blood, but just from the bizarre situation. So many wounded without any source. People were still glancing around, many fleeing the building, worried it would suddenly start again.

Most people were being treated where they were, bandaged on site. But the young medic took one look at Robyn, her blood soaked clothes, and realized she needed more attention than just a few bandages. He motioned to others in medical uniforms to wheel a stretcher in their direction. Sage gently, effortlessly lifted Robyn into the stretcher before softly speaking into her ear that he would return shortly.

Robyn knew why he had to leave. He had to banish the subarmor underneath his clothes before people noticed it. That usually required a little bit of quiet time for the wearer to settle down and convince the armor that the danger was over. Robyn didn't feel anything as he left. She felt little at all. She was still on idle, still trying to reset herself. All she knew how to do at the moment was look at the world around her and bleed.

She remained still as the young medic hastily wheeled her outside toward a waiting ambulance. Robyn watched the sky above her, heard more sirens in the distance. These sounded like police.

"I think she's the worst of them," the young medic called to someone beyond her vision.

"Let's get her inside, Misao," said a second male voice, and Robyn's breath hitched as she recognized it. She lay there stupidly, looking at the neck and underside of a familiar chin. Thick black hair poked out of a blue collar.

The two young men hefted the stretcher into the ambulance, but Ryo stood at the door, blocking his partner from coming in. "I've got her. Go see if anyone else needs help." Robyn watched his form, silhouetted by the light of day, as he closed the door, hiding them both inside the vehicle.

Ryo turned and immediately leaned over her, his face close, giving her his full attention. "How bad are you hurt? Show me where?'

Her mouth moved, but no sound came out. She couldn't get her brain to comply; couldn't remember where she had been hit, couldn't make any sound.

Ryo didn't wait. He immediately ran his hands over her, trying to find the sources for all the blood. Robyn jerked a little at the sudden invasion of her personal space. With a solid hand on her thigh, Ryo produced a pair of scissors and began cutting the ripped skirt from her body.

Only then did Robyn's brain fully reboot and she regained full control of all faculties. "What are you doing?" she squawked, trying to slap his hands off her. Not that she didn't _want_ his hands on her. There were quiet times when her idle thoughts wondered what it would be like to feel Wildfire's skin on hers. Very fleeting thoughts that she would chase away in embarrassment. But this was just mortifying. Having Ryo Sanada cut her bloody clothes off in a very abrupt and rote fashion was not how she wanted it to be.

He looked at her with the same look he had probably given to other difficult patients. "Look, I'm sorry, but I have to get these off so I can stop the bleeding. It's okay, I'm a professional. I've done this many times before."

Robyn was suddenly filled with a sense that she was but one of many girls before her who were charmed at a mere glance by this handsome, blue-eyed man. And then thoroughly mortified as he cut off their clothes without a thought. And Robyn felt sympathy for every one of them as she pulled herself away from his hands.

"Is—is that really necessary?" she asked in a shaking voice.

"Robyn, I need you to let me do my job." He tried to hold her down. "Calm down, please. You're in shock and you're bleeding all over everything. You might pass out."

As soon as he tried to remove her clothes again, she struggled anew. Ryo was genuinely surprised with how strong she fought with the amount of blood loss she probably sustained. He had her bodily pinned down when there was a knock on the back of the vehicle.

"Ryo, the boyfriend's coming in," came Misao's voice.

"Boyfriend?" Ryo demanded as he put most of his weight into holding the redhead still.

One of the doors opened and Sage climbed in, closing the door behind him. The blond young man in his blood-stained suit looked at his fellow warrior blatantly pinning a bleeding, panicking woman down beneath him and frowned.

"Ryo, what are you doing to her?"

"I'm trying to get her clothes off. Help me, Sage. She's being difficult."

All color drained from Robyn's face as Sage stepped in. It was bad enough Ryo was going to hold her down and strip her, now Sage was going to watch? Why couldn't she just die from her injuries? She would be happy to succumb to darkness right now.

Sage, however, did not help Ryo. Instead, he walked over to sit next to Robyn and calmly pressed a hand to her bleeding arm. "She's not one of your anonymous daily patients, Ryo. She's your friend. Can you try a gentler bedside manner?"

Immediately, Ryo's ego kicked it, which usually did any time Sage questioned him. "I know how to do my job, _Sage_. I'm trying to stop her from bleeding out. That is more important than bedside manner."

"Forgive me if seeing you trying to cut a struggling woman's clothes off doesn't give me much confidence in your methods."

"If she would stop squirming, it would be all over soon enough."

"You really have no idea how your words sound to another person, do you?"

Robyn wanted to die all over again. She wasn't bleeding out fast enough.

Ryo's hands were still on her thighs, traveling up higher as he continued to argue. As he opened his mouth to speak again, they felt something land on top of the ambulance and all froze. The vehicle rocked back and forth as something substantially _heavy_ paced back and forth above them. Sage glanced at Ryo, whose eyes were locked upwards as if trying to see through the top of the cab. Whatever it was, this thing was big. It wasn't Sage's monster or Robyn's. Was this Ryo's?

As quick as it came, whatever was up there seemed to suddenly lift off and vanish. Since there were no panicked screams coming from outside, it was assumed no one else was aware this thing, whatever it was, had been around.

Sage glanced down when he noticed Robyn's body became limp. At first, he panicked, but then he noticed Ryo removing a syringe from her arm.

"You sedated her," he accused, highly offended.

"I need to do my job," Ryo insisted. He went back to cutting the skirt high enough to examine the very deep gash in Robyn's thigh. Muscle and fatty tissue had been exposed. This was far deeper than the first assault by her monster.

Sage gave him a disapproving look, but let Ryo get to work stopping the blood loss while he dug around for a scalpel.

"And what are you doing?" Wildfire asked when Sage removed a blade from its sterile package.

"I got cut," Sage said simply, motioning to the slices in his suit. "And with the exposure this incident is going to get, the more victims the better so it doesn't look like Robyn was the main target, she was just the one who happened to get the worst of it."

Ryo went to work as Sage soberly set about cutting himself with the blade in the same spots his sub armor had protected him before. Once done with Robyn's leg, the former hiked up her shirt and cursed under his breath at the damage to her abdomen. He had first assumed all the blood on her shirt came from the gashes on her arms. This was why he was so adamant about getting those clothes off fast.

He grabbed his radio. "Misao, I need you back now. We need to take this one to the hospital." He paused and shared at calculating look with Sage. "I guess we're taking the _boyfriend_ , too."

The response was immediate as the two warriors eyed each other. "Roger that. I'm coming."

* * *

Robyn awoke, tucked in bed with white linen and feeling weak and disoriented. The moment she shifted, she became aware of all the little stitches that held her flesh together. She winced as she tried to sit up a little. There was a long gash down her back and she could feel every little piece of medical thread holding it together.

"Oh, honey, don't move." Regan's hand was immediately on her abdomen, trying to keep her down. "You were torn up pretty good. Don't want you falling apart again."

Robyn plopped her head back down on the hospital pillow with a sigh, glancing at the IV taped to the back of her hand. "How long was I out? Shouldn't you still be at work?"

"I took an early day when I found out what happened. God, Robyn, that was so scary. It was on the news! A lot of people got hurt."

Robyn covered her face with her hands. Flashes of people getting sliced while she ran assaulted her recollection. "They all got hurt because of me. I'm not safe in large crowds. People aren't safe with me. Maybe I should quit my job."

"You're definitely taking some time off," came an authoritative voice at her side. Sage had been so silent and still, Robyn hadn't noticed he was even there until he spoke.

"You're still here?" she asked in awe. Surely Sage had more important things to do than babysit her while she slept.

Regan grinned. "He hasn't left you the entire time. Said something about making sure Ryo doesn't do anything else "untoward." He wouldn't explain to me what that meant, though."

Another flash of Ryo trying to tear her clothes off made Robyn's cheeks burn and she pulled the sheet over her head.

Sage's voice continued to speak to her. "We're working to get you out of here as soon as possible. The police are going to ask you questions about the attack before you leave. You will say the same thing as everyone else: you do not understand what happened, you didn't see anything. You just panicked and ran."

She nodded under her protective barrier. Regan pulled the sheet off her head, making a few stray hairs stand up that the brunette smoothed down. There was still fear in her face that she wasn't able to hide as she carefully hugged Robyn to her, her breathing unsteady as if she were fighting tears. Robyn had a feeling that, with how hard that thing had hit her, she would not survive the next time. Regan seemed to have that feeling as well.

"It's going to be okay. That thing is not going to have another chance to get you. Your amazing friends are going to go after it, they're going to get it. All right?"

Robyn gave a weak smile and nodded.

 _And if they don't,_ Regan thought to herself, _I will_.

* * *

Cye was at the townhouse waiting for them when Robyn was brought home and gingerly helped up to the door. It took all night for the doctors and the police to finally allow her to go home. Robyn had put up a feisty front before them all to help along the release, but in truth, she did not feel well and her reserves were getting low. Every step hurt and pulled at the broken skin that was now stitched together.

Immediately, Cye fussed over her and Robyn was happy to have him. She didn't get to see him as often as some of the others, and Cye fussing over her felt like home. His face visibly paled when he saw how much damage Robyn had incurred from the attack. Both he and Sage hovered around her, inspecting all her wounds. Altogether, Robyn had been sliced fourteen times, the worst being the huge gash in her thigh and the one on her arm that had gone to the bone. Sage placed a hand on her shoulder and one on her leg as he attempted to give the worst of her injuries a small healing boost. He didn't dare do too much in case the police came to question her again. It would look very strange if Robyn's wounds all suddenly healed overnight. She would be forced to heal much of her injuries the natural way.

"Where's Mia?" Robyn asked while Sage concentrated.

"She's at home. Kento's with her so she'll be okay," Cye replied. His voice wavered a bit; he worried about them both. He wished he could keep them all under the same roof.

Robyn just smiled at him, pleased at the news. Kento had attempted to stay at the townhouse for a while, but the place was just too crowded with himself, the girls, and Rowen always over. He was trying to get comfortable enough to go back to his own apartment, but in the meantime, he often stayed over at the mansion instead. Robyn liked that. She did not like that Mia and Cye lived so far from the rest of them, all on their own. She was glad they had another person over there to help them all stay safe.

When Sage had finished his work (and Robyn was ashamed to admit she was getting used to the sensation of Halo's healing power), he removed his hands with a tired look. "That's all I dare to do, but when this is over, I'll make sure there aren't any lasting scars."

Robyn gave him her best smile, though she had very little energy left. She just wanted to sleep.

Regan hugged her around the neck from behind the couch. "The doctor said you should eat something before you sleep. I'll cook whatever you want."

"Now you're just spoiling me."

Cye squeezed her hand. "After what you've just went through, you can be spoiled a little."

He kissed her temple and Robyn was suddenly so bummed out that he was getting married. Not that she wasn't happy that he and Mia had found each other and that they made each other happy, but it meant she hardly got to see him. Seeing Cye, even for just a little while, was such a special, rare treat. It would be even worse after the wedding. She knew it was very selfish to think that way and she tried hard not to let those feelings stay. She chalked it up to a bad day and tried very hard not to miss him when Cye said he had to get home not too long after.

* * *

Though exhausted, Robyn did not sleep well that night. In her dreams, she kept hearing the sharp scrape of blade on blade, jerking her awake every time. All her cuts ached as if the monster's darkness still infested them, preventing them from healing. She didn't even realize she was moaning in her sleep until Regan padded in and slipped under the covers with her. Robyn wasn't even aware she was feverish until her friend brushed damp hair from her face and she began to shiver.

Eventually, Rowen came in as well, unwilling to sleep by himself. He dragged a large comforter with him and, surprisingly, flopped down on Robyn's other side. The three lay together on the modest futon mat on the floor and listened as it began to drizzle outside in the dark.

* * *

The top floor of her company's project building was the last scheduled to be completed. It was still a vast, open area with only a few load-bearing pillars and measured marks painted into the floor where the walls would go. Regan was the only one there. The rest of her co-workers, after having once again reviewed the progress of the building, left for the day. None of them were aware she had gone back inside on her own.

Normally, she wasn't in the habit of purposefully going after the spooky stuff. That was more Robyn's thing. But these monsters were pushing her and she had had enough. Rowen had first put the idea in her head when he and Sage had faced the creature in the subway. She was so proud of him, even as the others got after Strata and Halo for not divulging the plan to the rest of the team. Regan knew she was going to get yelled at even more for attempting this little stunt, but she couldn't take it anymore.

They all knew the attacks were getting bolder, that the monsters were going to start hitting harder now that they were trying to fight back. Regan was about to let the guys handle it until Robyn was attacked. Seeing her best friend covered in blood, clothes torn, flesh full of stitches scared away any reservations she had about fighting back on her own.

The far more brutal second attack felt very much on purpose. Robyn had lost so much more blood. She was feverish the night she came home, both exhausted from the pain and blood loss and restless from the attack. Regan couldn't take it anymore. These things had to die. She would start with hers and then she would come for the rest.

Before, Regan had long since wondered if she ever had it in her to kill another being with her abilities. Even that time so long ago, when she and Robyn first met in that hospital. When those creatures—half human, half demonic beast—came after them, Regan wasn't sure she had it in her to kill them, even as they tried to kill her. Even the naga at the hot springs, her first thought was to pin it so the others could get away. She never had any thought to kill it. But now, as she stood on that open, empty floor, Regan knew she had to.

Even if her monster was the most harmless, they all had to go. Just as Rowen said: they should start with the easiest, the most predictable, and then work their way up. The no-faced girl was always around both the office and the construction site whenever she was alone. And after Regan had taken care of her, she would turn her full force on that thing with the shears and she would tear it apart.

Silence filled the open, empty floor of the apartment building. Even the construction crew had gone home for the day; just how Regan wanted it. No witnesses. Especially if this standoff resulted in damage to the building. There was no telling what would happen when this girl appeared, but Regan felt ready for it.

The afternoon waned, throwing long swaths of light through the windows even as the floor gradually grew darker. Regan patiently held her ground, fists still clenched at her sides. You're here, she thought to herself as she glanced from one corner to another. You always wait to catch me off guard. Not this time.

It had been nearly an hour when Regan finally spoke. "Just come out already. I know you're there."

As soon as she said it, Regan felt stupid for speaking. Could she really just order this illusive thing to come out of hiding? Perhaps the whole reason it wasn't coming was because she was clearly ready for it. Just as she felt like this wasn't going to work, Regan noticed a bit of movement out of the corner of her eye. There was something behind one of the rectangular pillars just barely protruding into her line of vision.

Regan moved slowly around to see the form of a young girl in her usual dirty white dress. She stood against the far wall, her pitch black hair falling forward to cover that blank slate of flesh where a face should be. Regan almost felt sorry for it. It was so small and dirty, just a child lost and scared. Suddenly, she wasn't so sure she could kill the thing after all. Maybe it could be reasoned with.

"Look, this has to stop," she said as she carefully rounded the pillar, slowly making her way closer to the girl. "I feel like you don't want to hurt me, but we can't keep doing this." The girl hunched her shoulders a bit more, her hands pressed to the wall behind her. Regan took a step closer. "Isn't there something we can do to end all this so no one else has to get hurt? If you're being forced to do this, maybe I can help you. Maybe we can help each other."

They were so close to each other now. Then, Regan blinked and the girl was gone just like that. A chill went up her spine at suddenly being left all alone, then a small hand clamped on her arm so tight it burned. Immediately, Regan lashed out with her powers, intent on flinging the body away from her. Nothing happened. Like a hand through fog, there was nothing solid for the power to grab and push away.

Regan instantly panicked. She had never had this happen before. She had never had her powers not work against something. She could not fight this thing, and she suddenly felt so alone and vulnerable. The girl looked up at her, the hair falling away until the smooth surface of flesh was exposed. Regan could only stare at it, wide-eyed and frozen. And then she saw nothing.

When she came to, she was stepping off the roof of the apartment building.

Her brain had come around first, immediately being aware of the afternoon breeze tugging at her hair. Her body moved on automatic, taking that last step into open air and Regan screamed as she plummeted head first eight stories down.

Death rushed up for her in the form of the gray sidewalk and Regan, on instinct, pushed against it with all her strength. There was an explosion of energy so strong that it rustled the trees and set off a few car alarms in the parking lot. In the terrifying moments before she knew if it worked, she had approached the ground so fast that she was positive she'd die anyway, and sent out a heartfelt mental apology to her twin, all the way across the ocean: _I'm so sorry, Jude_. But the impact never came. Regan hung there suspended a mere few inches off the ground, trembling. It was the first time she had ever attempted to use her power on herself.

It lasted for a mere second before her reserves gave out and she fell to the concrete in a crumpled heap. Regan laid there, her body jerking in spasms as she curled in a ball. She had never exerted that much force all at once before. She didn't have time to temper herself; it had been pure instinct to react. And now she was paying for it. The headache came first, like a jackhammer to her brain. Her stomach roiled from the pain, regurgitating what remained of her lunch on her clothes and the sidewalk.

For several minutes, all Regan could do was lay there and wallow in pain. Eventually, she found enough strength to pull herself forward, crawling toward the car. Something warm and wet dripped from her nose. Blood.

It took all her focus to will her muscles to work. It felt like she had been electrocuted. It was hard to get them to do what she wanted. Finally, she managed to maneuver the car door open and pull herself inside. With shaking hands, she pulled out her phone and tried to dial. The rest faded into a blur.

* * *

Sage was in between classes when his phone began to vibrate. He always used the few hours he had been the late afternoon class on Tuesdays and the 7 p.m. class to do some bookkeeping for the dojo, and had changed back into day clothes while he updated information for end-of-the-year taxes. Not the most titillating work, but it had to be done and he had the time.

He frowned a little when he glanced at the caller and saw that it was Regan. She had never directly contacted him before. "Hello?" he answered carefully.

The line was silent. And then, a small, hesitant, "Rowen?"

"No, this is Sage," he corrected. He almost said, "You must have dialed the wrong number," but something sounded off in her tone. "Regan, is everything all right?"

Her voice was strained, shaky. Like she was hurt. "I fell. I…can't get home."

Halo's spine stiffened. "Where are you?"

"…the building site…Rowen, I'm sorry." Her voice shook as if she were about to cry. And then he heard nothing.

Sage stood up quickly from his desk. "Regan?" he asked in growing panic. He glanced at his phone to confirm that the call was still live and it hadn't dropped. He called her name again and got nothing. Sage kept the phone to his ear as he fished for his keys, and then sped walked out of the dojo and to his car.

She called the apartment building her company was constructing the "building site." And luckily, he knew where that was; he drove by it every day on his way to the dojo. It was only a few miles down the road.

He heard nothing from the line, and had to put the phone down as he drove to the construction site, praying his instincts were right. Lo and behold, Regan's car was parked in the tiny lot that the workers used, rather than the larger lot across the street. The driver's side door was hanging open. The sun was setting as he pulled up next to it, and the inside of her car was dark. From his vantage point, it looked like there was no one inside. His gut twisted in a hard knot. Was she inside the building?

Sage went up to the open door to be sure, and gave a sharp, quiet inhale when he saw her form slumped over the center console. _No_. He leaned a knee on the seat and placed his hand on her back, immediately relieved to feel her breathing. That relief was tempered with new worry when he saw a small pool of blood in the center console. He carefully repositioned her head and swept back her hair to see her face, then suppressed a curse when he saw the blood under her nose and, oddly enough, trickling down from her ears. She was completely unresponsive, and her pulse fluttered like a trapped bird's.

Halo opened the passenger door of his car, adjusted the seat back, and retrieved a tissue from the glove compartment. He wiped away some of the blood from her face and ears before lifting her out of the car and carrying her to his. He gently set her down, then went back to her car to locate her bag and lock up the car. As he started his car, she stirred a little.

"Rowen?" she whispered faintly.

"It's all right," he told her, keeping his voice low and calm. "We're going to get help." She must have lapsed back into unconsciousness, for she didn't respond or move again.

The nearest hospital was the only destination he had in mind, and he defaulted to roads he knew had very few stoplights. He pulled up to the emergency room entrance next to an idling ambulance, and got the attention he needed by requesting a stretcher as he lifted an unconscious woman out of his car.

The nurses that ushered them in to one of the makeshift rooms of the ER asked him questions he didn't have answers to beyond the condition he found her in; he simply didn't know her medical history. He did remember that using her ability too much gave her migraines, and that she had seizures when she was younger and took medication for it. Feeling guilty, he fished around in her purse and found a bottle of pills. He wasn't sure if they were useful or not. They began rattling off the names of anti-seizure medications, and started an IV to get her fluids, telling him she was dehydrated and her blood pressure had plummeted dangerously low.

"But she'll be fine?" Sage asked, taking in how clammy and unwell she looked under the harsh fluorescent lights.

"When we get access to her medical records to confirm what she normally takes, we can administer what she needs," a nurse assured him. "The doctor will want to do an MRI to be sure there's no hemorrhaging."

Sage sank down in the chair next to the bed to wait, and pulled out his phone to make the call he dreaded. This one couldn't go through the group text first.

Rowen picked up on the second ring. "Buddy, this better be important. I've got a test in five minutes."

* * *

Three things registered at once when Regan resurfaced. She was not dead. She was cold. And her head was killing her. Her ears hurt, too, and rang like bells were clanging inside her ear canals. Pain radiated from the front of her head all the way down her sore neck muscles. And it was so hard to stay conscious; she didn't know how long she could do it. The contents of her brain felt like they'd gone through a blender, and concentrating on any one thing was exhausting and bewildering.

The overhead lights were too bright so she kept her eyes shut, and the sounds began to make sense; she was in a hospital. Regan involuntarily shuddered as a cold draft swept by. It surprised her to feel a hand pull up the blanket to her shoulders.

"Rowen?" she tested. Her throat was dry, her voice weak.

"He's on his way."

Regan's eyes drifted open in further surprise, and although it took them a while to focus, she recognized the thick blond hair. Rowen's best friend sat in the chair next to her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice kinder than she'd ever heard it.

"…fabulous," she whispered.

"What happened? Can you remember?"

Her brow furrowed as the hideous memory came back, the stomach dropping fall. The girl. Oh God, her powers hadn't worked on it. Tears stung her eyes as the full weight of the risk she'd taken hit her. "You were right. I'm sorry." As if recalling it was too much for her brain, she felt her grasp on consciousness slip away.

Sage could see her drifting off, but not before he heard, "…fell off the building. Had to…stop myself." She wearily patted the air just above the hospital bed mattress to mime a fall, and then a sudden stop just before the white sheets. Sage's blood went cold. "You came," she said. Startling him, her hand landed on his, where he'd set it when he'd been prepared to get her water. Regan weakly squeezed his hand. "Thank you," she said on a faint sigh as she drifted off.

* * *

Rowen burst through the doors of the ER and almost bypassed the front desk entirely to get inside. He rattled off Regan's name, his body twitching as the adrenaline and fear made his limbs restless and jumpy. The receptionist opened the ER doors and he went swiftly in, weaving past doctors, nurses, patients, and gurneys to the left corner Sage indicated. The curtain was half open, and he could see Halo inside, sitting in a chair. Rowen yanked back the curtain and his eyes fell on the slender, curled up form on the hospital bed.

He couldn't speak right away as he settled on the side of the bed and took in her pallid face, the little flakes of dried blood that told him her nose bled. And, of all places, at her ears. He rubbed her back to feel for himself that she was warm and alive, then leaned in to stroke back her hair and kiss her forehead.

"I found her in her car, unconscious," Sage said quietly. "She had an MRI scan earlier and it came back normal, but her eardrums ruptured, and they don't have an explanation for that. They're contacting her doctor back in the states to be safe and won't release her until she wakes up." He pitched his voice lower to add the rest. "I have no idea what happened, but she came to earlier, and spoke a little." Sage paused and dragged a hand through his hair. "She fell off the apartment building and broke her own fall."

" _What?_ " Rowen's head whipped around to stare at his best friend. "She did what?"

"That's all I know," Sage said helplessly. "She's barely been awake, and not very coherent. She thought she called you when she called me."

Horror, anger, and heartbreak got caught in Rowen's throat and he choked on it as he stared at her lovely, still face. She could have _died_. She would have if she hadn't had a gift of her own. The thought of this life snuffing out, and taking with it the bright, funny, kind soul he was falling in love with, was a thought he violently rejected.

Sage had never seen the look on Rowen's face that the blue-haired warrior was sporting just then. He looked heartsick and violent, his eyes as dark as midnight. When Sage felt a brush of Strata's power coiling through the cold air of the emergency room, he issued a low warning. "Not here. I know you're upset. But it won't help her."

Rowen let out a shuddering breath and settled for taking her hand in his, both men waiting for her to wake up or for the doctor to discharge her. Regan woke briefly, but not for long. Her eyes opened, she registered Rowen's voice and his touch, but her responses were vague and a little confused. It was clear she was in a lot of pain. The doctor came in and asked for privacy to talk with her, and both ronins reluctantly waited outside the curtain while the doctor used the opportunity to get her in a gown to do a proper examination. When they were allowed back inside, Regan was dressed again, but the ordeal took its toll; she was shaking, and her eyes were glassy with pain, disorientation, and fatigue. When Rowen wrapped his arms around her, she hid against his chest, her trembling hands curling weakly into his shirt.

The doctor cleared her to go home and rest, with a note excusing her from work for the next week, another dose of medication, and a sample of painkillers to get her through the worst of it. Regan fell asleep on Rowen's shoulder as he carried her out to Sage's car, and he laid her out in the back and climbed in with her, putting her head in his lap and running his fingers through her hair, talking to her the whole ride to the townhouse.

* * *

Robyn flew to the front door as soon as it opened, immediately making soothing noises when Rowen carried Regan in and laid her on the couch. The latter was awake again, but out of it and only lay there weakly as hair was brushed from her face and the blanket was tucked around her.

"Regan, you okay?" she asked softly.

The brunette winced as if it were painful to even talk. "I did something really stupid."

"Clearly," Robyn replied with dry humor. "I want you to drink lots of water and get some food in you and then you can tell us all about it."

As she moved to the kitchen to fill up a glass of tepid water, Rowen followed her. "Robyn, have you ever seen her like this before?" he asked softly.

"Once. But it was a long time ago. She overtaxed herself, big time."

"What do we do?"

"There's nothing you really can do," Robyn confessed reluctantly. He clearly hated that answer. "When she overdoes it, her brain shuts down and reboots like a computer. She just needs time and a lot of sleep. She needs to stay hydrated and eat a lot of food to build up her energy again."

She moved back to the living room and gently handed Regan the glass, making sure she could hold it on her own. Robyn fussed with the blanket, smoothed back Regan's hair, and felt her slightly warm forehead with the back of her hand. She herself was still covered in bandages from her own attack, which had only happened the night before.

"Tell me how to take care of her, because she's staying with me," Rowen said firmly. "I need…" he paused, swallowed hard. "I need to watch over her until she's well."

Robyn turned her sharp green eyes on Strata. "You'll be watching her from here. There's no way I'm going to let you haul her all over town in this condition just so you'll feel better. I know how to take care of her. You can learn how to do it here. After a few days, if you want to hoard her away at your place, be my guest. But she's staying in her own bed until she feels better."

"That would be better than spreading us thin," Sage agreed. "Otherwise, we'd be leaving Robyn here alone."

The redhead found herself feeling bitter about two things. One, that she needed a babysitter. And two, that babysitting her visibly inconvenienced everyone else. Kento and Cye had already been in an argument that morning over who could afford to spend an entire day with Robyn since she wasn't going back to her job for at least a few days. That just made Robyn feel worse about the whole thing. She wished she could go back to to work, but the truth was work was not safe for her. Her monster didn't wait for her to be alone. Her monster clearly didn't care who saw or who was hurt while trying to get to her.

To distract her bitterness, she hurried to the kitchen to make dinner for Regan. It made her feel good that someone actually needed her help, even if she would have never wished for this to happen to her best friend. But they were used to this. They were used to dire situations where they took care of each other. Robyn could handle this.

Kento, the one who had lost that morning's argument, emerged from the back dressed in his work uniform and hastily threw Regan's despondent form a regretful look before telling the guys to keep him updated, he was late for work. This seemed the cruelest part of all. The fact that the world refused to stop racing ever forward while they were hunted and hurt. And all of them were far too stubborn to admit defeat and hide from their daily responsibilities.

Robyn made some cheap minute rice first, something fast for Regan to put into her stomach. Rowen hadn't left Regan's side while she cooked, sitting on the floor next to her and talking quietly to his girlfriend. Sage was over in the corner, frowning and texting on his phone.

Regan opened her eyes when she felt Robyn sit on the edge of the couch. Rowen helped her sit up as a warm bowl of rice was placed in her hands.

"Eat," the redhead ordered. "At least half of it."

Regan sighed and daintily put a small bite in her mouth with the provided fork. No chop sticks today. Regan didn't have the coordination for it right now.

After a few bites under watchful eyes, Robyn said, "You want to tell us what happened?"

Regan grimaced, then whispered, "You'll be so mad."

"I will not be mad," Robyn swore. "I can't promise for later, but right now, I'm just glad you're okay."

Regan didn't even have the energy to delay her response. It just fell out of her mouth. "I went after my monster, the girl with no face. I went to the building site to confront her, waited for her on the upper floor. I thought I could handle her alone."

Rowen took in a sharp breath, clearly looking ready to blow his top. Perhaps it was only Robyn's hard look that kept him silent.

Regan's heart picked up, rushing a fresh new pounding to her head, as she remembered with horror what happened. "I tried to use my power on her and... nothing. It didn't work at all. I... I don't remember ever feeling so helpless in my life. I usually feel _something_ when I push against something solid. But there was nothing.

"I remember her grabbing me. I looked into her face and then the next thing I remember, I'm on the roof of the building and I'm stepping off the edge. I couldn't stop. I was already falling when I came to. I wasn't even thinking, I just reacted, pushed out with everything I had to catch myself before I hit the ground."

She suddenly felt so stupid right then. If something her size and weight were falling, she probably could have caught it with minimal strain. But stopping herself, she had thrown out everything she had. It was a wonder she didn't ricochet herself right off the side of the building. These were her powers and she was still so bad at them. Tears began to sting her eyes as her voice cracked.

"I'm so sorry. I thought I could handle it. I know you guys said it was your job but, Robyn got hurt and I was just so mad. And Rowen, you killed yours just fine. I thought I could, too. I had to do something or I was going to go crazy."

Rowen said nothing at first, just rose up on his knees and hugged her around her shoulders, pulling her into his chest. Regan's body shuddered with a suppressed sob.

"It's okay, I understand," he murmured to her. "I'm just glad you're still here. Baby, I was so scared I was going to lose you."

"I'm sorry," she whispered into his shirt. "I'm so, so sorry."

Rowen muttered more words of comfort to her, but internally he was already making plans to take that bitch out. That thing was going to die. He would personally make sure of it.

"Okay, well I think I have found a solution to our problem," Sage announced as he approached them all.

Robyn sighed. "Which problem is that?"

"The problem of the two of you stuck at home for several days while the rest of us are at work. Ryo works twelve on, twelve off shifts and it just so happens this is his last night on. So, starting tomorrow morning, he is going to be living with the two of you for the next few days."

Robyn's eyes widened and she paled a little bit herself. Ryo was going to be here. All the time. Living in their house, sleeping... somewhere. Changing clothes, using their shower... _Oh God!_

The other three missed her minor, quiet freak out while Sage prepared to go. He didn't look thrilled to leave only Rowen with them, but he'd left the dojo in a hurry and had unfinished business to attend to. Before he stepped out, however, he requested that Robyn sit down, and laid his hands over the worst of her cuts again to give them another boost.

"Another one in a day or two," he said, "and we might be able to take those stitches out."

"Thanks, Sage," Robyn said quietly.

The blond then crouched down in front of Regan. "I can't do much for this," he said honestly. "But I can fix one thing."

Regan didn't have a chance to ask what he was referring to before his hands cupped her ears, as if he were shielding them from a loud noise. Her eyes widened as she felt the dull throbbing and buzzing in her ears from the ruptured eardrums dissipate, and then leave altogether as that same gentle, soothing warmth filled her while he healed her. When he removed his hands, she could hear everyone much clearer. She couldn't stop the tears that stung her eyes again.

"Thank you," she whispered, and before her courage failed her and he stood up, gave him a quick, fierce hug.

"You're welcome," he said. "Robyn, Ryo said he'll be here early, his shift ends at 6 a.m."

Oh, perfect, Robyn thought. He wasn't just coming here tomorrow morning; he was coming ungodly early, when she'd surely look like a Raggedy Ann doll fished out of a landfill. "I'll set my alarm so I can let him in."

"Rowen—"

"Not a damn thing is entering this house unless it's Ryo."

Sage nodded. "Call me if that changes."

* * *

The setting sun dazzled the surface of the small lake by the Koji manor. Its waters were peaceful, barely ruffled by the light breeze…except for that one spot whereWhite Blaze was frolicking.

Cye laughed as the tiger pranced about in the shallows, his proud head held high as he kept the short tree branch clenched between his teeth and away from Cye. White Blaze had been a little neglected as of late, and getting out of the house to exercise and play with Ryo's tiger seemed like a surefire way to let out some of the stress.

It worked, for a little while.

The bronze-haired warrior stopped pursuing the tiger and watched his fiancée sitting alone at the end of the dock, cross legged instead of with her feet dangling into the water, like she normally did. She'd gotten into the shallows for a little bit, too, even laughed and wrestled with White Blaze for the branch to toss it out again. Then she excused herself to sit and rest for a moment. And didn't return.

White Blaze nudged his cold nose against Cye's hand, and he murmured, "In a moment, boy." The tiger looked disappointed, but slowly dropped the branch into the water as he watched Torrent head for the solitary figure on the dock, his brown eyes somber.

She'd twisted her long auburn hair up into a bun and exposed her graceful neck. She was lovely and sad and so lost in her thoughts that Cye wasn't sure she heard him come up.

He dropped his hands on her shoulders and slowly massaged them, then up into her neck where he could feel the tension. Not much there, he thought, frowning. She wasn't eating well, either, or forgetting to while she was researching these legends, on top of working, on top of planning their wedding, and worrying all the while. She had to have lost a little weight from it all.

Oh, my love. Carrying so much and rarely ever placing the burden on another. Cye crouched down and kissed the back of her neck as he wrapped his arms around her. "Tell me the first thing we'll do when we arrive in Paris for the honeymoon."

He heard the smile in her voice when she said, "Get out of Paris." Cye chuckled. "I mean it. I want to take us away from the big city. I want to show you the small, old towns first. The vineyards and the coast. I want us to wake up at an inn and not feel like we have to rush to do something. And then, when we've relaxed, then I'll take you to Paris."

Cye squeezed her tighter, burying his nose in her fragrant hair, and he felt her slender fingers wrap around his arms. "They're both going to be okay, right?" Mia's voice was quiet, and it wavered.

"Robyn and Regan are well looked after, and they will be all right," he assured her.

"I feel sick when I think about it."

"We will end this," Cye said firmly. "Nothing will get to any of you again. Don't worry about it tonight, love. I know it's difficult, but…" he moved so he could see her face and gently grasp her chin to hold her attention. His eyes were grave as he said, "There's a chocolate raspberry cake in the kitchen, and I can't let you eat it until I get another smile."

Mia looked away as she smiled.

"There's my girl." He kissed her and stood up. "Let's wear out White Blaze first, and then— _no_ , Blaze!"

She startled at the sudden shock and rebuke in his voice, then found out the reason for it. White Blaze had found one of Cye's sandals and was carrying it in his mouth.

Torrent took off down the dock as the tiger pranced down the sandbar merrily. Mia laughed, and slowly stood up to follow. She stretched, listened to the sound of the katydids, and took in the picture of her future husband fighting a tiger for a sandal. And losing.

Cye nearly fell backwards into the water when he finally wrested his sandal from the tiger's jaws, thankful that the strap hadn't broken. "You bloody thief," he scolded. "You're not even sorry." White Blaze hardly looked offended to have the sandal taken away as they both headed back to the wooden pier. The animal was in the process of pushing his head against Torrent's leg when he froze. As if he was listening to something.

The hair stood on the back of Cye's neck when a low, menacing growl rumbled from the tiger's throat. Sharp, shining fangs peeked out as a full throated growl ripped from his throat, and he was staring…straight ahead.

Cye looked up toward the end of the dock. Toward Mia. She was standing and fixing her hair, the setting sun beautifully silhouetting her slim figure.

And before his eyes, the air behind her _rippled_ , like heat rising from pavement on a hot day. Then it darkened, and filled in, as if a blot of nothing had obscured the lake behind her.

It formed the shape of a person.

"Mia!" Cye shouted. He began to run.

Her eyes took him in, and then widened. Before she could move, the black, rippling shape behind her wrapped long, thin appendages around her throat and pulled.

With a startled cry, Mia was jerked back. She lost her footing as she stumbled back toward the end of the dock.

"No!" Cye roared.

The entire world slowed to an agonizing crawl as her body went airborne for precious, precious seconds, falling as the thing dragged her down to the dark waters of the lake. Cye was halfway down the dock when she hit the water with a disarmingly quiet splash.

And disappeared underneath.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Cye went airborne as he dove into the dark, glossy waters of the lake that swallowed Mia whole. The water freely let him pass as he swam down, offering no resistance—as it never had. His heart hammered in his chest so hard he thought it would burst while he searched the poorly lit waters; the setting sun's rays were already moving past the forest line and barely penetrated through. Small gobies and trout swam out of his way as he continued down, searching desperately for a flash of billowing clothing or dark auburn hair. He was only distantly aware that he'd instinctively donned his subarmor, but prayed nonetheless that Torrent would help lead him to her before the unthinkable occurred.

He found nothing. And more nothing.

The lake was not this deep, it was not. He recalled with horror how the hot springs had suddenly become a bottomless sinkhole when the naga arrived; the same thing must be happening here.

Oh God, Mia. How far down was she?

 _Hold your breath, baby_ , he thought, wishing like hell she could hear him. _Hold on, I'm coming_.

He swam, only distantly aware, too, that he wasn't running out of air, as if Torrent were pulling oxygen to him without the need for breath. After what felt like ages, long enough that a deep panic began to take root (a normal human being could not hold their breath for that long, dear God), he felt something push against him.

Driving him back.

* * *

Mia loved her lake. Loved the katydids that sang around it in late summer; loved the red cranes that would fly in, sometimes, searching for dinner. Loved the feel of the cool water against her skin. Swimming alone, or swimming with Cye and feeling his body against hers. There was even a part of her that loved her lake now.

Even though she had no more fight left in her.

 _Red paper? Or blue?_ it whispered in her mind. She felt a hard, pointy thing stroke her cheek as she stared at the surface miles above her head.

There was no air. Her lungs burned and screamed, and her hands, hands that had pulled and clawed at what squeezed her neck, fell away with exhaustion.

She thought she heard Cye's beloved voice as even the swirling waters above her disappeared from view.

* * *

With a snarl, Cye plowed forward, Torrent filling him with the strength and fervor needed to shove it away for daring to take what they loved. The force tried to physically push him back again and almost succeeded, but Cye clenched his teeth and smashed through the energy barrier.

Immediately, he could see her.

Mia's white shirt billowed in the dark water, her hair fanning out in dreamy tendrils. She was listless and pale, her eyes closed. What had been shadowy appendages before were now hard and shiny, like the legs of an insect. They wrapped around her throat, chest, and stomach, as if…

Cye nearly recoiled when he realized the dark shadow looming just behind her limp form _was_ an insect, longer than Mia, its body segmented and vaguely resembling a wasp. Two antennas twitched as its large, shiny black eyes seemed to stare at him. A low droning sound filled Cye's ears, eliciting the instinctive fear of a thousand stinging wasps swallowing him whole.

 _Do not give in to it. Free her!_

Cye fought his damnedest against the terror of the thing that held Mia, of even touching it, and swam like a bullet directly for it, twisting his body to the side so he could avoid hitting Mia. He bodily slammed into the creature's narrow side, jarring it so it loosened its grip on her. Cye clamped down on the remaining legs and ripped them from Mia, hearing a shrill scream in his head as he ripped one appendage clean off. He worked his fingers underneath the legs wrapped around her throat, then pried them back as he twisted his body to deliver swift kick to the creature's thorax. The kick drove it back, and Mia was free from its clutches.

Killing it was no longer the first priority. Cye gathered Mia to him and swam as fast as he could upward, knowing he only had a few seconds head start before it came after them. He broke through to the surface as soon as he could, and Mia's unresponsiveness alarmed him. They made it to shallow water in record time, Cye nearly stumbling when it grew too shallow for him to swim and he sloshed through the water on foot, repositioning Mia so he carried her bridle style while he fairly sprinted for the beach.

White Blaze waited in the shallows, pacing furiously, and then began to growl as Cye dropped to his knees in the sand and set Mia down.

"Watch her," Cye said hoarsely, because he felt it, too; it was coming. There was no time.

Cye turned around just as it burst from the water, the buzzing filling the air now as it flew at him on oily black wings. With a yell, Cye met it head on and they crashed into one another, only he had made sure to grab it around the middle to fling it back down into the shallows.

The water was _his_ territory. His and Torrent's. This son of a bitch was an intruder who would die in these waters for what it had done.

He made sure he was far enough away from Mia before roaring, "Armor of Torrent, Dao Shin!"

The monster wasted no time barreling into him as he barely finished the transformation, throwing him back into the dock. His armor cracked and splintered the wood, but Cye barely felt it as he rose.

"You are finished," he growled, his eyes a storm out at sea, an angry coiling mass of clouds and rain and thunder over thrashing waves. The buzzing intensified as the massive, wasp-like creature hung in the air, its wings fluttering madly, its alien eyes boring into Cye. The lake's waters churned as Torrent drew its power, and with a sweep of his hand, water leapt from the shore and knocked the creature off balance. Cye gripped his yari and with a battle yell, drove forward and shoved the weapon into its thorax. It fell to the ground, and Torrent stood over it, burying the yari in deeper with an audible crack.

"Super," Cye began in a low, deadly voice, "Wave…Smasher." The concentrated power of the surekill crashed into the creature with the force of a tsunami.

A warbled scream rent the air, and then went silent as the body exploded, bits of exoskeleton, spindly legs, and parts flying everywhere as it was torn apart. Cye's eyes fluttered against the onslaught, but his grim expression remained.

White Blaze's plaintive cries finally reached his ears, and once he was sure it was dead, Cye powered down and raced for the prone, still figure lying in the sand.

"Mia!" He dropped to his knees and pressed his ear to her blue lips—God, her skin was so cold!—and could not feel air moving in and out. He felt for her pulse.

Nothing.

"No, Mia," he cried, tears burning in his eyes as he tilted her head back and began to perform CPR.

White Blaze paced, his tail flicking in agitation, and made low, distressing noises in the back of his throat as the tiger's brown eyes looked at Mia worriedly. Cye was deathly quiet as he counted the compressions in his head, checked for breathing, found nothing, then pinched Mia's nose closed and pressed his mouth to hers, giving her his air. He did it again.

And again.

"Mia, please," he moaned, the tears streaking down his face. "Breathe, sweetheart, _please_."

He prayed to anyone listening, and did compressions, and breathed for her.

A choking, liquid cough was the most beautiful noise Cye had ever heard.

Water flowed past Mia's lips, and Cye swiftly and gently turned her on her side. She coughed violently, water pouring from her lungs and onto the ground. She cried weakly as more coughs wracked her thin frame. Cye held her close, murmuring to her, rocking her, and stroking her wet hair as the sun left them in the dark of the evening.

* * *

He knew he should have let everyone know what happened as soon as possible, but he couldn't bring himself to cause the riot of calls, texts, the rush of people. Not yet.

Cye carried Mia's shivering form back to the house, up the stairs, and immediately to the bathroom. She held on to him for dear life, her head buried in his neck, and resisted when he tried to put her down.

"Darling, it's all right," he soothed, swallowing the lingering fury and sickness from the attack. "We need to warm you up, get you clean, and put on fresh clothes." He coaxed her to sit on the closed toilet lid in the bathroom, told her again that he wasn't going anywhere, and ran a hot bath. Mia continued to tremble, and Cye had to undress her; she had neither the coordination nor presence of mind to get the wet clothes off. Her deep green eyes were glassy with shock and fatigue, and focused on some distant point on the floor while he readied the bath. He stripped off his own clothes, and then carefully helped her into the tub with him.

Mia didn't stop shivering until Cye was nearly logy from the heat and the steam. He held her in his lap, the water nearly to their shoulders in the deep tub, and gently stroked her back, delaying the business of getting clean until she had a chance to come back to him.

"I heard you," she whispered.

Cye shifted a little, their legs tangling under the warm water. "When?" he asked quietly.

"In the water. When it held me." Mia shuddered, and let the strong beat of Cye's heart soothe her. "I heard you say "hold on." But I couldn't. I wasn't strong enough."

"Yes, you were," he denied. "You've fought it every way you can. But there are some things that are…bigger and meaner, for every one of us. But it's dead. It's…" he paused, and then maneuvered her so she was sitting up as he looked at the base of her neck and right shoulder blade. For the mark.

It was gone. His fingers ran over smooth, unmarked skin.

"Your mark is gone," he said, his voice heavy with relief. He kissed her shoulder blade. "It's over; it will never hurt you again."

He didn't contact anyone until he cleaned Mia, washed her hair, and set her up in the bedroom with him, wrapped in a soft robe and combing her hair. She gave him a brave smile as he retrieved his phone, and had to give her a soft kiss for it before he turned his attention to the device.

The text was short and to the point. _Mia's came after her. We need to talk._

* * *

There could be no proper meeting with the other monsters, Robyn's in particular, still active. Cye was not going to bring Mia to the girls' after what she had just been through.

Rowen set up Skype in Regan and Robyn's small kitchen. He and Ryo sat on the only chairs the girls had, and Sage leaned against the counter behind them, in sight of the laptop screen.

"Where are the girls?" Cye asked. Kento sat next to him in the Koji manor's kitchen. He had arrived shortly before the meeting and Hardrock's face grim and tired.

"Rae's sleeping, Robyn's with her," Rowen answered.

"How are they?"

"They seem fine enough considering," Ryo said. "Robyn watches over her friend. Regan is sleeping a lot, still dizzy and disoriented, but recovering." Rowen's face had grown stony as he spoke.

"How did you kill it?" Strata asked flatly.

"Pinned it and used a surekill. It dragged Mia into the lake."

"Chose the wrong fucking location, didn't it," Kento muttered.

"Are we aware that these creatures hit all three girls in two days?" Sage said behind them.

"Yes," Cye said tightly. "Acutely."

Hardrock's large hands clenched into fists on the kitchen table. "Fucking cowards. They're purposefully hitting us where we're the weakest."

"That's kind of what we we're doing," Rowen pointed out. "Though we're now at three down and they're still at zero."

"They're _not_ stronger than us," Ryo said, venom in his voice. "They're just hard to catch. But when we fight them, we beat them."

"All these attacks smell of desperation," Sage said. "Maybe they also know they can't beat us."

"Then why the hell do they keep attacking?" Kento barked, his face getting too close to the screen. "Yes, we have these marks, but what's the point? Just to kill us? What does that gain for them?"

"It's a difficult question to answer, being as how we still don't know exactly _what_ they are. If we can figure out that question, then maybe we will finally know what causes them to keep coming after us with more determination instead of retreating when we start diminishing their numbers."

"One thing is for sure," Cye said in a low voice, "they're not really the urban legends from the stories, are they? While this thing pantomimed the Aka Manto legend, when I faced it underwater it had turned into some kind of... bug-like creature."

"Mine, too!" Rowen chimed in. "Sage saw it! Exactly the same! It started molding into some sort of insect. The urban legends are the disguises. But _why_ the disguise? These things are scary as hell in either way. Why are they trying to hide their true forms?"

"At least it's new information," Mia called behind Cye and Kento. She was dressed in a plush purple robe, brushing her damp hair. Despite her harrowing encounter in the lake, she was feeling better now. Knowing that thing wouldn't come after her again made it better. "I'll send this new discovery to Professor Kaneko and maybe it will help narrow down what we're looking for. We've only got a few more weeks until the wedding. I am open to any and all ideas on how to get rid of the rest of these things as soon as possible."

"I guess those of us still with monsters by then can just keep our distance," Ryo smirked.

Mia stalked up to the computer, getting right in the screen. "Ryo Sanada, don't you dare think about missing my wedding, monster or no. I am not looking for another man or maid of honor to replace you."

Wildfire held up his hands in surrender, grinning. "Okay, Mia. I'll be there with bells on."

"With armor on might be safer," Kento smirked.

"And wouldn't that be fun," she replied with her own smirk. She kissed Cye's temple and ruffled Kento's hair before moving away from the screen.

"So what's our plan of attack?" Rowen asked. "As long as they're hitting hard, we need to keep hitting hard and continue with the plan: pick one monster, go after it until its dead, then move to the next."

"You've already got one in mind?" Ryo asked.

Rowen glanced at his best friend. "Sage's. It's not the most predicable pattern, but she's always shown up after dark and she seems to like the dojo. She's also always appeared on nights you've had late classes."

"Except there's always a possibility the monsters are going to change their habits if they know we're coming after them," Sage reasoned.

"We won't know until we try."

"So, what, we start staking out Sage's dojo on Tuesdays and Thursdays?"

"Unless you have a better idea, Kento," Rowen said. "We need to try something instead of waiting for the next attack and hoping we survive." He let out a long breath and added in a softer voice. "We might, I don't know if the girls will. These last times were close, for both of them."

"Then we should aim for theirs first," Cye said seriously. "When their monsters are gone, it will be easier to hunt down the rest. We could just camp out in the woods for a few days, make them come to us."

"That's actually not a bad idea," Ryo said. "I've still got my dad's cabin we can use. It's far away, but if they followed us to Toyama they'll follow us there."

"Now, hold on," Kento protested. "These things are freaky enough in the city, do we really want to face off with them in the middle of nowhere? That sounds so much worse somehow."

"Nothing about this is ideal, it's never going to be ideal," Sage said levelly, recrossing his ankles. "But we may have to be open to trying different things to stay one step ahead of these creatures. I vote for Rowen's idea. I'd rather have the girls' monsters dealt with first, too, but if mine can be taken out quickly, one less monster is one less monster. For the next few days the girls aren't going to be leaving this apartment anyway. Might as well try to take out another one while we've got some time."

"It doesn't hurt to try," Cye said. "Rowen, Kento and I will stake out the dojo starting in the afternoon after work. And if Kento's monster happens to show up, too, we'll take her out as well."

Rowen smirked. "If it's that easy, you won't hear me complain."

"And I'm stuck here the whole time?" Ryo protested.

"Yes," Rowen, Sage, and Cye said at the same time.

"Both Regan and Robyn's monsters show up wherever they please," Sage added. "I think it's unlikely they will appear in the apartment, but if they do, I have no doubt you can take care of it. You're the only one who can keep a 24-hour surveillance while we hunt the others. It's just easier this way."

Ryo huffed. Clearly he was not happy about being relegated from team leader to babysitter.

"Ryo, are you really mad you get to hang out at home with cute girls all day while we wait around in the dark for monsters?" Kento joked. "You can trade me jobs."

"Not when you've got a giant spider that appears out of nowhere inside buildings," Cye shot back.

"Ryo's got a monster, too! I think."

Wildfire let out a heavy sigh. "It's fine. I trust you guys to handle your end, too. We'll try it out and then, if it doesn't work, we'll try something else."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

* * *

Robyn couldn't sleep. It was long after Regan had passed out, dead to the world for a night. Long after Sage had gone home and Rowen retired to Regan's room. Long after she could no longer hear Ryo puttering around the living room and after all the lights had been turned out and everything was silent, Robyn was still awake in bed. Her wounds kept her stirring. They ached in the darkness. When she did sleep, she dreamed of black sludge oozing from the cuts as if they would never heal. So she found herself staring at the pale ceiling as the night ticked on.

This was not unusual for her. Sometimes darkness kept her awake while it urged others to sleep. She was used to it. Often she whiled away the time by padding around the place with the lights off, a creature apart of the night. Regan would never notice; Robyn was always too silent in her nocturnal meanderings. Tonight, however, she wasn't so sure she could prowl around undetected. _He_ was out there, sleeping on the couch. Hopefully dead to the world, too, but she had no idea how heavy Ryo slept, even when exhausted from pulling off twelve straight days of intensive work.

Robyn felt like a prisoner in her own house, sentenced to her own room for the night. The dragon slumbered out there, waiting to catch her if she tried to escape. She couldn't even slip out for a drink of water without worrying she would wake him up. That thought just made her thirsty. She could go to the bathroom and drink the nasty city water from the tap.

That thought just made her irritated. This was her damn house. She should be allowed to make a whole dinner in her kitchen in the middle of the night if she wanted to. And she shouldn't have to explain herself to Ryo or anyone else what she was doing. If it woke him up then too bad.

Energized with her own indignation, she stepped out of her bedroom. And promptly lost half her nerve. Turning off her bedroom light, the house was once again plunged into darkness. She waited, silent, motionless, for her eyes to adjust, for her to become a nocturnal creature. Then she padded down the hall, as light and soundless as a cat. She passed the form on the couch, just a dark human-shaped lump, breathing slowly.

She slipped past and into the kitchen, pausing in the darkness, hand on the fridge handle as she built up courage to pull it open. She did so with a grit of her teeth, sound and light breaking into her night world. A moment was taken to inspect the contents. Finding nothing appetizing, she decided on some milk to settle her stomach and pulled the carton from the glowing box. Gently, she closed the door and was covered with blessed, protective darkness once more.

The kitchen light flicked on behind her. No longer a night creature, Robyn squinted in the sudden light, glancing over her shoulder at Ryo. He was dressed in a gray shirt and sweat pants, his thick hair sticking up in comical directions. He too was squinting in the harsh light of the kitchen and he was too damn adorable like that.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice scratchy.

Robyn had to mentally remind herself she owed him no explanation. She was an adult and she lived here.

"Whatever I want, it's my house."

Ryo squinted harder, brows furrowing as if it were too much attitude for him to handle right now.

"Sorry I woke you up," she said in a softer tone. "I was trying to be silent."

"You were pretty silent. But Wildfire was watching."

"Your _armor_ woke you up?" Robyn blurted, making it sound like that was the weirdest thing she had ever heard.

"I'm on guard duty. I need to know everything that comes and goes. Everything. Wildfire makes sure I don't miss a thing."

"I didn't know the armors... communicated with you like that."

He leaned against the counter, ignoring the comment. "Are you going to be up all night?"

"You're irritated you're stuck here," Robyn said in response to his tone. "I heard you guys talking about it earlier. Sorry you ended up with babysitting duty."

Ryo blinked in surprise and then looked repentant for his tone. "I don't mind keeping you safe. I just don't like being safe and warm inside if the guys are out there in danger. If the situation were different, you wouldn't hear me complain if I stayed all weekend."

"Which you are?" Robyn wondered.

"Probably. I have twelve days off before work starts again."

She grunted a sound of dislike before she could stop herself. Ryo chuckled lazily. "Yeah, I know. We're going to be stuck getting into each other's hair for at least a few days. Might as well make the best of it." He took the milk carton from her. "Do you have any cookies?"

"Do I? Look who you're talking to," she laughed. She turned to the cupboard for all her hoarded snacks while Ryo reached from behind her to the next shelf to grab two glasses. His chest brushed against her shoulder.

"Wow, you're warm," she said without thinking. She hovered her hand over his arm and could actually feel the heat radiating off of him. "Do you have a fever?"

"Nope, that's just me. Or really, that's just Wildfire skulking around inside me. It leaves me with a higher than normal body temperature."

"Wow, I bet you're the perfect bed warmer in the winter."

Ryo's brows raised at the comment, the side of his mouth ticking up a little. "I guess so."

Robyn quickly looked away, her face flush. Oh God, did she just say that out loud? Suddenly, she was very focused on pouring milk and slid the second glass Ryo's way without looking at him. He touched her bare arm, right below the bandage.

"And how have these been feeling?"

She put a hand on the bandage. The cuts weren't aching right now. "They're fine."

"And why are you always so cold?" he then asked playfully. "It's like you generate no body heat at all."

"We can't all have fire armors that keep us toasty warm," she huffed. "Stop bragging about it."

"I'll warm you up if you want."

Robyn stared at him. Was he flirting with her? Or just being nice? She couldn't tell. She had no experience in this. A part of her was terrified to know the answer. Her heart thundered in a panic and she shoved a cookie in her mouth before anything stupid could come out of it.

He poked her in the side and she nearly choked on her snack.

"Stop!"

"That's what you get for waking me up. Sleep is precious to me, I'll have you know."

Robyn gathered up her cookies and milk, taking it with her as she walked out of the kitchen. "Then take it up with your armor, _I_ was being quiet."

* * *

The bedroom was cool and dark, the heavy curtains drawn tight against the morning sun. Robyn slipped inside, shut the door, and sat down on the futon next to the woman lying on her side, wrapped in a light blanket.

"Are you sleeping?" Robyn whispered.

Regan made a little noise of discontent. She'd slept all night and most of the morning, and could sleep no longer because the pain intruded like a…like a really shitty intruding thing; Rae was too tired and dizzy to think of a witty analogy for it. She closed her eyes and sighed when Robyn placed cool fingers on her aching forehead and stroked back her hair.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" Regan asked faintly.

There was a long pause, then a heavy sigh. "He's just... always out there. I can only stop stupid things from falling out of my mouth for so long."

"I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Just a few minutes ago, I tried to ask him about laundry and ended up suggesting he take off his pants."

Regan snorted and instantly regretted it when the bat hitting her skull in a steady rhythm sprouted spikes. She closed her eyes and pressed her head back to the pillow. Robyn allowed her a few minutes of silence to recover.

"We ended up talking a bit last night, though," the redhead said softly. "Maybe even... kinda flirted a little? I don't know, I can't tell these things. I bailed out when I could before any further awkwardness could happen."

"Maybe you should stop worrying about the awkward and just let it happen," Regan suggested, eyes still closed. "Either way, he's your friend. You certainly have no trouble flirting all day with _my_ boyfriend. I don't know why you're suddenly having problems with this one."

"Rowen's different. He always starts it because he enjoys being annoying." Regan smiled at that and Robyn let out another sigh. "This sucks. I just want to look at him like normal, like the others. It's like…like I've forgotten how to act around him. I hate it. Why can't I treat him normally? Why am I tiptoeing around our place like _I'm_ the visitor? This is stupid."

Regan thought hard and carefully to try to come up with a response, but nothing helpful was surfacing. Instead, she carefully sat up and hugged Robyn, dropping her head on the redhead's shoulder. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"It's okay," came the miserable response.

"…I'm also sorry that I have to use the restroom."

Robyn's eyes opened to stare at the ceiling. "Are you serious, Sundari? I _just_ crept in here."

"My bladder doesn't know your "dodge the Ryo" schedule."

With a heavy sigh, Robyn helped Regan out of the bed, her annoyance fading when Regan had to lean heavily against her and clutch at her head as her vision went black and vertigo struck her. By the time they made it to the hall, Rae was trembling and her arm was clamped tightly around Robyn's waist.

"Whoa, easy there. You got her?"

Robyn stiffened when Ryo touched her elbow after rushing to them down the short hall.

"Yes, we're fine," she said, her voice tighter than normal.

"Regan, you all right?" He didn't like that she was out of bed, and looked ready to pass out. Robyn was such a slip of a thing, too, that he could just see them both toppling over. "Let me help."

"Unless you plan on joining us in the ladies room, Ryo, we're good," Regan said, waving him off weakly.

"I can handle that if it means neither of you taking a fall."

Robyn made a small, distressed noise in the back of her throat when Ryo's arm wrapped around her waist in an effort to hold them both up.

Regan, incidentally, saved her from having to concentrate on how strong his grip was, how serious and beautiful his blue eyes were. "Feeling vomity," she announced shakily, the dizziness and vertigo too much for her near empty stomach.

"Bathroom now, now!" Robyn urged.

* * *

Ryo watched his other patient carefully as she took the anti-nausea medication he had in his bag.

"Rest a bit, give it a chance to work," Ryo said.

Regan nodded and thanked him. Her tired, foggy green eyes idly watched him check her pulse one more time, his handsome face solemn in the dim light of her room. He really was cute. Regan could see why Robyn thought so. He also seemed so innocuous and it really was funny how fast Robyn had bailed from the room when Ryo took charge.

"You know, I thought your name was Roy for the longest time," she said.

He blinked at her. "What? Why?"

"When Robyn and I first got back in touch, she would tell me about you guys over e-mails. My mind kept reading your name as R-O-Y for some reason. And then when Robyn said your name out loud for the first time I was like 'Who is that? Is that a real name?' Even now, any time I type your name I have to mentally remind myself to spell it correctly."

He chuckled softly. "I think you need a hefty meal soon when the nausea fades." She grimaced, and he gave her a warning look. "I know that's the last thing you want to do, but you have to. I know how I feel after I've fought or tapped into my armor without eating. It's a massive energy drainer, and you need to replenish. I'm thinking that's just about the only route to feeling better. Food and sleep."

She knew he was right, but her stomach was still in sick knots from throwing up. Her shoulders slumped. She hadn't felt this awful in a long time.

"Is it always like this for you?" he asked, his tone gentler.

"No. Only when I've really overdone it, and I'm low on energy, like you said. Stress doesn't help. I hadn't taken my medicine since that morning. But…" She bit her lip as she recalled the fall, the knee-jerk use of her powers. "I really blew it. I wasn't thinking clearly, and if I had, saving myself wouldn't have taken up so much energy. I should have known better, I did it to myself," she finished bitterly.

Her eyes widened when Ryo chuckled. Before she could misinterpret his laughter, he said, still smiling, "You sound like someone I know."

"Who?"

"Me. Every single one of the guys at one point in time. You're here, and that's all that matters. And you'll learn from it for if, God forbid, there's a next time. Which there won't be."

He couldn't know that for sure, but she could appreciate his insistence, as if verbally willing it would make it so. "Ryo, can I ask you a question?" He inclined his head. "Is Sage the only one with a healing power? Do you all have something…extra on top of the extra?"

Amusement crossed his face. "No, Sage is the only who can do that. And then we each have our elements."

"Fire can't hurt you, can it?"

"Not at all. I can't say it hasn't hurt other people, but never me. And we're still learning ourselves. These extra things we have…" he shrugged. "They don't come with manuals, you know? We do the best we can and help each other."

Regan smiled back at him. It felt really nice to talk with him frankly about something so private; before this last month, that had only ever happened with Robyn. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "And I'm really glad you all have each other."

"Me, too." He patted her hand. "Now get some rest, and be prepared to eat later."

She groaned.

"It could be pancakes, you never know."

Her weak laughter followed him out the door as he shut it.

* * *

Rowen checked his watch for the fourth time, and for the fourth time he remembered he couldn't because he was in subarmor, the watch banished away. He sighed for he really had no internal clock to help him keep track of the time. He was bad telling whether it had been an hour or three hours, hence how he easily forgot to eat sometimes for an entire day when working on a project.

He, Cye and Kento had arrived at the Date family dojo before dark and didn't even bother to go inside before stationing themselves around the area. From his place atop a building across the road, Rowen had a good view of the parking lot as the sun set quickly and night fell over the city. After dark, Rowen was unable to gauge how long he had been lurking there and it was making him antsy.

Nearby at street level, Kento was just the opposite. If there was dinner cooking or he had somewhere to be, Hardrock would be just as impatient. But set him up to wait for evil to find him and Kento had the patience of a boulder. He could sit there all night, arms crossed over his chest, eyes partially lidded as he watched the lights of the building across the street. Rowen was glad to have him close by. Hardrock made him feel more grounded when he began to get antsy.

Cye was out prowling around in the dark somewhere. Usually just as calm as Kento when it came to the waiting game, killing off one monster had souped him up, ready for another. Torrent had been in full predatory mode and the other two had just let him have at it as he wished.

Eventually, all the lights in the dojo were turned off and Sage exited alone and stood by his car for several moments. Then he continued walking out to the sidewalk and looked pointedly at Rowen and Kento's position. The two waited for the area to be clear of cars and witnesses before running across the road to meet him. Cye appeared from wherever he had been skulking to join them.

"I'm calling it off," Sage announced, looking at his watch. "We're two hours past close and nothing. Long before it appears, I can feel the energy stirring. I don't feel a thing tonight. We're wasting our time."

"So what do we do then?" Kento asked. "You want to try again tomorrow?"

"I don't have night classes again until next week. It's summertime. We can try then if you want. But go ahead and go home for tonight. Nothing's going to happen."

Cye glanced at Rowen who already had his thinking face going. "On to the next plan, huh?"

"I guess so," Strata confirmed. "I just don't know what the next plan is yet."

* * *

"Alright, let's see them, take it off."

"Huh?" Robyn asked, wide-eyes at Ryo's sudden request. She was sitting at the table, translating e-mails for her work when he plopped into the chair next to her.

He nodded at her arm. "Your bandage. Take it off so I can see the stitches."

She breathed out an amused sound. "You really don't know what your words sound like to another person, do you?"

He set a pair of surgical scissors on the table. "Maybe we can take them out now. They should be healed well enough."

Robyn looked doubtful, but set about pulling the medical tape from her skin.

"Here, let me do it," he offered.

She let him take over with amusement and wondered if Ryo insisted on bandaging all the guys personally whenever they got hurt. He seemed to be a bit of a control freak when it came to these sorts of things. The gauze was stuck to the skin and Robyn hissed as he peeled it off.

Ryo frowned instantly at the exposed wound and Robyn wasn't surprised at what he found. The broken skin was still sticky and weeping. As it always looked every time Robyn changed her bandages.

"This... this isn't healing. At all," he said. "Even with Sage's help."

"I know," she confirmed softly. "I don't think it will. Not until that thing is gone."

Ryo looked hard at her, the expression indiscernible on his face. Robyn had trouble shouldering those intense gorgeous blue eyes for too long and she glanced away with a flush of her cheeks. Then, his hand closed over hers and she glanced back, watching the tan of his complexion against her pale skin.

"Robyn," he said seriously and her gaze was drawn to his face; intense, solemn. "It's going to be okay. We're going to get that thing. I won't let anything happen to you."

"I believe you," she whispered, her face feeling red hot from his proximity. His hand remained on hers, his thumb rubbing her wrist. And it just stumbled out of her mouth. "Do you... maybe want to go to a movie with me sometime? You know, when all this craziness is over."

Ryo smiled. "Sure, I'd love to."

Robyn was beaming. "Okay, sounds great." An awkward, too loud laugh broke out of her and she immediately mentally screamed at herself for sounding like such a dork.

Ryo pulled his hand from hers, his voice softening a little, but still with a serious undertone. "Hey, listen, Robyn. I want you to know you're important to me, I'd do anything I can for you. You're a very dear friend. I hope we're always friends, alright?"

 _Friend._ It took Robyn a moment to process the meaning of his words. Her heart stumbled once and then was still. She laughed, this time it was a relieved sort of laugh.

"Oh my gosh, yes. Me, too! I'm so glad we're friends."

He smiled. "Me, too. Now, how about you let me check on those other cuts." He reached for her side, intent on pulling up her shirt to see the wound at her waist.

Robyn slapped his hand away. "I am taking care of them just fine, thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need some peace and quiet so I can get my work done." And with that, she scooped up her laptop and retreated to her room, shutting the door behind her.

Ryo remained at the table, watching her go. Then he let out a long breath as he stood and wandered into the living room where the TV was on, the volume set low.

"Nice one, Roy," came a disappointed feminine voice. Regan lay on the couch, curled up in a blanket, previously assumed to be sleeping.

"Nice one, what?" he asked.

"'I hope we're always friends?' I'm so disappointed in you. That girl has never asked anyone out, ever, and she went out on a limb for you, and you shot her down."

Ryo didn't know what to say to that at first. Regan's stare was a mixture of irritation, disbelief, and real disappointment, softened only by a glaze of pain from a migraine.

"I don't…Regan, I care about her," he stressed, uncomfortable with the hot, greasy sense of guilt that wormed its way through him. _Was_ it guilt? He'd clued in to Robyn's crush over the past two days, and he didn't know how long she'd felt that way, but he let her know in the best way he could that he wasn't able to reciprocate, before he hurt her worse. "I care about Robyn a lot, but she's my friend, and I just got out of a relationship that frankly I…I'm not sure I'm over yet. I couldn't lie to her."

Regan was still staring at him in a way that made him want to squirm. Slowly, she rose on an elbow so she didn't have to look up so far. "You're going to regret that," she said frankly. "Robyn is a special girl, and you'd be lucky to have her."

Ryo sighed and dragged his hand through his hair. "I know," he said softly.

"I don't know if you do. I don't know if you're really seeing her. She's…" Regan sighed in frustration, her brain still mush as it recalibrated from the attack. She lay back down and pressed the heels of her palms against her throbbing forehead. "She's grown so much in the last few years. She's selfless and devoted to all of you, and this is the first time she's shown…" Rae made an aggravated noise, then flung her arm over her eyes. "I had such hopes for you, Roy. Go hang out in the kitchen, I can't even look at you."

He hesitated, although he was now more amused at Regan's protective growling in her bedridden state than anything. "Do you need anything while—"

"No. You've done enough for one day. Go to the kitchen and think about what you've done."

* * *

Kento paused as he stepped out the back of the restaurant and walked toward his jeep. His phone pinged and he dug it out of his pocket as he tossed an overnight bag into the back seat and sat himself up front.

 _What are you up to tonight?_ said the text.

It was from Fumi. The guys would kill him if they knew he had stopped blocking her phone calls. It was shortly after he had run into her in town with Regan and Robyn at each arm. As confrontational as the encounter had been, it seemed to have finally helped get it through Fumi's brain that Kento was over her and they weren't getting back together. She had dropped by to pick up some take out and told Kento that she was ready to move on and she hoped they could be friends.

Part of him was tired of having her in his life. But that foolish male part of him that remembered how well she could rock his world in bed wasn't ready to let go just yet. She was still so damn cute and it was hard to say no to her. What he did promise was that they could talk over text but he wasn't interested in hanging out, nor did he have the time.

Fumi seemed okay with this. She seemed to understand now that Kento had other responsibilities and couldn't drop everything for her anymore. He was proud of her. She was growing up.

As he looked at the text, Kento heard a soft thump from behind. Glancing into the back seat, he found the machete he kept in his vehicle had fallen to the floor. Probably not something he should be carrying around, especially if he got pulled over by a traffic cop. But these monster-filled days meant he had to be ready to protect himself and others at a moment's notice. He reached back for the long blade and set it in the empty passenger seat. It was too big for the glove compartment. When he arrived at Mia's place, he would figure out a better place to keep it.

Looking back at the phone, he quickly typed: _Nothing much tonight. Going to bed. Tired._

He then left his phone in the cup holder before pulling out into the street. A few blocks down, his phone pinged again. When he had stopped at a red light, Kento glanced at the screen just to make sure it wasn't from one of the guys with an emergency.

It was from Fumi again: _You sure you don't want to go out tonight?_

He didn't like texting while driving, but Kento also wanted Fumi to stop contacting him for the night and quickly typed: _Can't. Work tomorrow._

The light turned green and he had to focus back on the road as he steered himself out of town and toward the mansion. As the city lights became fewer and farther between, Kento's phone pinged again. Another quick glance told him this was also Fumi and he began to regret having unblocked her. She hadn't matured as much as he thought. She was still thinking about herself, having no regard for the schedules of working people.

The phone pinged again as Kento turned off the highway to the darker side roads that led toward the mountains. He left the new texts unread. The last thing he wanted was for some critter to jump in front of his vehicle while he was trying to fiddle with his phone. He would deal with Fumi when he reached the mansion.

Lights from a car behind him reflected off the rear view mirror and into Kento's eyes. He wasn't used to other traffic this far away from town, but it wasn't necessarily unheard of. There were other houses this far out. It was just very unlikely that the few people who lived out this way would be using the road at the same time.

Kento's phone rang and his heart picked up. If someone was calling him, that could very well be a true emergency. Which one now? Whose monster had attacked? Was anyone hurt? He took a deep breath as he picked up the phone, eyes glued to the darkness outside his headlights as he answered.

"Yeah?" he asked in trepidation.

"Kento," came Fumi's familiar, accusatory voice. "I thought you said you were too tired to go out."

Despite the lack of monster news, Kento's heart still skipped, reflexively feeling caught even though he hadn't done anything wrong. Had Fumi seen him walking out of the restaurant when he said he was going to bed?

"Fumi, I am not going out, I'm going to sleep over at—" He paused. Why the hell did he have to explain himself to her?

The car behind him moved closer to his bumper, nearly blinding him with the headlights reflecting in the mirror. He squinted and frowned. "I swear to God, Fumi, are you following me right now?"

"Don't even change the subject, Kento! You are such a fucking liar! Which one of those sluts' houses are you sneaking off to?"

Of course Fumi would have no idea he was actually going to Cye and Mia's place. Kento had never brought her there while they were dating. He had never wanted to take her there. It felt like a place where she didn't belong. That really should have been his first clue that this relationship wasn't meant to be.

"Fumi, we are OVER. It's none of your business whose house I'm going to!" he snapped back.

"The least you could do is admit it like a man instead of lying to me when you're out banging other skanks!"

"I'm not—"

He was mid sentence when something sprang from the darkness of the forest and landed on the bonnet of his jeep, plastering itself all over his windshield. Massive spider legs everywhere, monster spider boobs dangling right in front of his face on the other side of the glass. Kento screamed at a much higher octave than he ever thought he was capable of and slammed on his brakes. The jorogumo jumped off his jeep just in time for Kento to see that while the road made a sharp turn, he did not. The breaks were not hit in time to stop him from plowing headlong into a tree.

Kento blacked out. Perhaps for a second, perhaps for longer. He wasn't sure. His subarmor had manifested itself right as he crashed and had, thankfully, taken the brunt of the hit to protect his body. The steering column, which would have probably pierced his torso, was now shoved into the dash, courtesy of Hardrock. Kento's face, however, was not as protected when it collided with the windshield. The first thing he saw was the glass ballooned out, but not shattered, from where his hard head rammed right into it. Then the blood began to drip into his face.

He hastily wiped it away when he remembered he wasn't the only one out in the middle of the dark woods with a car-hopping monster.

 _Fumi!_

Kento immediately lurched for the door to get out and look around. His intact seatbelt nearly choked him as he was pulled back in his seat. As he fumbled for the release button, he heard the squealing of tires and watched in the side mirror as the back lights of Fumi's car tore up the gravel road in her haste to get the hell out of there, leaving Kento to fend for himself.

Before he could come up with a reaction, a clawed hand crashed through the damaged windshield, effectively shattering it. Blood ran into Kento's eyes, partially blinding him as the monster slashed and scraped at his armored arms, trying to get a hold of him. Kento fought back with all the strength he had, punching the monster right in her freaky face when she hissed at him. That sent the creature flying back and it disappeared into the blackness of night.

There, Kento was left alone, staring out into the small distance illuminated by his headlights, the radio on low, his poor engine still clunking along. In a daze, he turned off the vehicle, leaving the headlights and radio on. Blinking away the blood still dripping down his face, he idly thought he should call somebody about this. If only he knew where his phone had gone.

He heard the sound of an object falling to the floor of the jeep. The machete had been balancing precariously between the dash and the seat before finally losing its balance and toppling over. Kento reached down and grabbed the handle. He looked at the fine blade as it winked in the light. There had been no time to be afraid, it had all happened too fast. Even now, he did not feel fear. Suddenly, he was mad.

This. Bitch. Had made a fool of him. Had attacked him in his home and had totaled his car. He was done being afraid and he was done being a passive victim waiting for the next attack. Machete still in hand, he lurched from the vehicle, left the protection of the headlights, and disappeared into the blackness of the forest night.

He was going hunting.

* * *

Regan sat up on the couch as Robyn set a tray of fruit and warm soup in her lap. The former was finally beginning to get her appetite back, though she still slept most of the day. Rowen was working late, but should be dropping by any minute. Ryo, their ever-present sentinel, was in the shower. The rush of water sounded from down the hall, nearly as loud as the low-playing TV.

"I'm sorry," Regan said as she took a sip of her soup.

"For what?" the redhead asked as she sat next to her friend and brushed a few stray strands from her face.

"That Roy's a dumbass."

Robyn laughed. "How long are you going to keep calling him that?"

"I don't know, I haven't decided. But he's not forgiven yet. He is a moron not to be interested in you."

Robyn tucked her feet under her, pulling some of Regan's blanket to cover her bare legs. "It's fine. To be honest, it's such a relief to have an answer and now I can just let it go and move on. This is so much better. I'm happy this way. I like being his friend."

The other woman sighed. "Only you would be relieved the guy you have a crush on doesn't like you back." She gazed down the hall in the direction of the bathroom. "I wish I could help you get rid of this fear of being touched, of being in people's lives. It's like you feel like you're inflicting yourself on people so you prefer it when they keep you at a distance."

Robyn winced a little. "I'm not... it's not that bad. I just like having my space."

"Remember when we got back in touch after you moved back to the states? We were so excited to see each other; we had been through so much together. But you were always so apologetic about being around. I had to constantly smother you to break you out of it."

The redhead smiled. "I remember."

"And heaven forbid a boy want to touch you. You wouldn't have any of that. Then we come to Japan and I see you hugging them all, touching their faces, and you were so happy to be back with them. And yet, you're relieved that one of them doesn't want to strip you naked and have his way with you."

"Thanks for putting it like that," Robyn snorted. "And I can't blame him for not wanting to. You shouldn't either. A person can't be forced to be into someone they're not. And why should he? You know now how amazing these guys are. They deserve amazing partners. Amazing people like... like you."

Regan winced as a heavy ache hit her in the temple and she rubbed at it. "Yeah, I'm so amazing, I'm stuck in bed for the next week."

"I don't need a romantic partner. I like being by myself. I'll love my heroes just like this and when I'm an old lady I'll live in a tiny cottage somewhere nice and quiet with all my cats and it will be so great." She blissfully closed her eyes to picture it.

"You won't be alone," Regan insisted. "We're going to be old biddies together, right? We will have so many cats."

"Rowen's not allowed to come. I said it will be a _quiet_ place."

Regan snorted and then grabbed her head. "Ow, stop making me laugh. My head is killing me."

Robyn tousled her hair. "That's what you get for teasing me about Ryo. You'll live."

The brunette sighed again and rested her head on Robyn's shoulder. "I just want you to be happy and not so fearful when you deserve so much more."

"I _am_ happy. When we're not, you know, in peril."

"That's like our status quo at this point."

"It seems to be everyone's these days."

* * *

The forest was pitch black. Above the canopy, the moon shown bright and full, but none of it could pierce the thick treeline of the forest. If Kento had been an ordinary person, he would have been blind to all the trunks and bushes in his path. But even with blood dripping in one eye, Hardrock enhanced his vision somehow. He could see through the darkness as well as a cat and he prowled the foliage like a nocturnal predator, sniffing and listening for his prey.

The handle of the machete was still tight in his fist and he kept it at his side as he stepped and then felt the air around him with all his senses. That thing was still out there, watching him, hunting him as he hunted it. The hair at the back of his neck stood at attention. This would be the last confrontation. Kento was not leaving these woods without bloodshed.

As he stood still in the complete darkness, he heard the rustling of the trees overhead, the skittering of dead leaves on the forest floor. A foreign entity seemed to be all around him like a million little insects all rising up from their hidden dens to surround him. There was a buzzing in the air like uncountable tiny wings, cicadas nearly screaming at him now, drowning out all the sounds of the creature that moved toward him.

Kento felt swallowed on all sides by sound. It was as if nature had come for the fight, a coliseum full of wild things to witness the match. He couldn't tell where the danger was coming from as he glanced wildly in all directions. The sound was ear-splitting; all of nature screaming for his blood. His heart pounded even louder, ringing in his ears.

Then, he remembered when he was young, when he was surrounded like this before by countless pieces of sand. The Ancient taught him to listen to his armor, to let Hardrock guide him when his senses could not be trusted. Closing his eyes, Kento reached inward. He found the soul of the armor, the calm of the patient earth. Despite the din of creatures around him, he listened as Hardrock told him to wait, to remain still.

There he stood, unaffected by the cacophony surrounding him. Still as a statue, the noise moved in closer, trying to choke and drown him. He ignored it. He waited until the hair at his nape stood up again, until electricity surged through his muscles. Until Hardrock screamed at him. _NOW!_

He turned, blade slicing through the night as a massive form dropped toward him from above.

A terrible scream shattered the forest.

Then all was silent.

* * *

Mia watched worriedly as Cye paced back and forth in the living room, glancing at his phone. Kento was due to drop by nearly two hours ago and no one had seen or heard from him. He wasn't in the group text and his phone would just ring and ring whenever Cye tried to call him. Sage and Rowen were in the group text with him, stating they did not know where Kento had gone. When Ryo straight up called him, Cye answered right away.

"I just got out of the shower," Wildfire's voice said on the other end. "Do you know where he could be right now?"

"Last I heard he was leaving the restaurant and headed our way. He's not picking up his phone, I've tried calling him several times."

"We should start looking for him. Rowen just came through the door. I'm going to leave him with the girls and check over at the restaurant to confirm when and if he left."

"Okay, Mia and I are going to get in the car and just check out the road. Hopefully, he just forgot to charge his phone and got a flat or something on the way."

"Let's hope that's all it is," Ryo's somber tone came through.

Near Cye's pacing feet, White Blaze had been napping. Suddenly, the tiger raised his head and glanced toward the door. His hackles were up, teeth showing, but he did not growl.

Cye was about to tell Mia to grab the keys when the front door suddenly swung open. Standing in the threshold was a wild-eyed, panting Ronin of Hardrock. He was covered in blood, deep red liquid dripping off the large blade in his hand.

"Cye? You still there?" Ryo's voice asked on the receiver.

Cye didn't hear him as he promptly dropped his phone.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"How ya feeling, champ?" Rowen asked as he leaned against the bedroom door frame.

Regan sat cross-legged on the floor, blueprints and her open laptop strewn about her as she gave a careful attempt at getting back to work. Books she'd read during her recovery were piled on the nightstand nearby.

She gave a dramatic groan. "Defective, I'd like to trade my current brain in for a newer, non-malfunctioning model."

"I kind of like the one you have."

"Corny." He smiled at her and she smiled back. "I am slowly getting back to normal, though," she added with determination. "Monday I'm going in for a half day and we'll see how that goes."

She was cleared to go back to work once the weekend was over, and even though Regan was excited to get back to her job, the reality of leaving the safety of the townhome didn't sit well with Rowen. Not with her monster still out there. But there was nothing he could do about the looming Monday. Regan would not hear of missing any more work.

The thought of her going back there made Rowen want to keep her closer. As much as he enjoyed spending time here with both girls and the occasional other Ronin, he wanted to spend time alone with his girlfriend. Rowen had never had her at his place overnight, and the desire to bring her to his home and care for her himself was startling in its strength. He had wanted to take her home since she was first released from the hospital. It was only her own health that kept him from doing just that. But now that she was better, he wasn't going to wait anymore.

"Hey, what do you think of packing an overnight bag and staying at my place for the weekend?"

Regan's face brightened at the idea. "Really? You think that will... be okay? What did Ryo say?"

Rowen instantly huffed. "Why does it matter what Ryo says? We're both adults. I can take care of you just as well as he can and he knows it. It's the weekend, I don't have work, and I don't plan on leaving you alone for a minute."

"Taken out of context, that's so creepy," Regan smirked. "And what did Robyn say about it?"

Rowen blanched in guilt, lowering his voice. "How about we not tell her?"

Regan mirrored his expression. "Might be for the best." Her grimace turned into a grin as she added, "Because I'm totally going."

Rowen warmed at the way her whole demeanor changed; her green eyes came back to life after days of a glassy fog and excitement exuded from every step as she pulled a weekend bag from the closet and began packing. More than once she moved too quickly, got lightheaded and had to pause for a minute, which refreshed his anger at the entire situation, but she was so adorably excited that it didn't last long.

The happy couple was nearly out the door, pleasant thoughts of finally being able to spend a weekend alone together, when a frowning redhead stood between them and their exit.

"You guys are leaving me?" Robyn demanded. "I'm going to be stuck here all alone with only... _him_?"

"I am _right here_!" Ryo called from the couch.

"Just for the weekend. I'm tired of being stuck here." Regan insisted. "I could really use a change of scenery for a while."

Robyn gestured around her, indicating she too held the same sentiments. They were both stuck in this place and going a little stir crazy because of it.

"It'll be okay, you'll be fine." Regan kissed the stunned redhead's cheek and breezed past her. "Ryo will take good care of you." And maybe come to his senses, or take off the blinders he so obviously had when it came to Robyn. Giving them time to be in each other's company without someone else taking up their time or needing to be taken care of would be good for both of them, so Regan thought.

Robyn whirled on Rowen and glared. "This is your fault."

"I promise I'll bring her back." Rowen squeezed Robyn's shoulders companionably. "You can survive this, I believe in you."

"Traitor," Robyn hissed as Regan walked by.

"Have fun while we're gone," Regan called as she opened the door. Robyn was instantly resentful of the bright-eyed excitement the other woman wore, and more aware than ever that her own wounds were still throbbing and she felt like garbage. "You and Ryo can talk," the brunette added. "I love you, be good!"

The redhead opened her mouth to retort, but the door had already closed behind the pair, leaving her alone... with Ryo. Wonderful.

* * *

Rowen drove the rental car, since it was less of a risk and a shorter distance than public transportation. Even so, as he drove them the fifteen minutes to his place, he noticed Regan's demeanor and posture change. She sat stiffly in the passenger seat. Her eyes kept drifting to the rearview mirror, yet tried to avoid looking at any passersby on the street at red lights.

He reached over and squeezed her tightly clasped hands. "Almost there," he said reassuringly.

She nodded with her head down, then laughed self-deprecatingly as she threaded her fingers through his. "I hate being this paranoid. Afraid to even look out the window because of what I might see. It makes the world feel smaller."

"…I know exactly what you need."

Regan watched as he plugged his phone into an adapter and scrolled at a red light. The way he kept sneaking glances at her made her suspicious. She knew why when the first strains of a certain song began to play through the speakers.

A song she could not stand.

"Oh my God, why did I ever tell you I hate that song?" she bemoaned.

"But have you heard _me_ sing it?"

Rowen's caterwauling to the sappy ballad was a sufficient distraction as Regan clamped her hands over her ears and begged him to stop, for the love of everything holy. He kept up his offkey, shrill singing until they were at his place.

"We're here," he announced merrily.

"Oh thank God, you are the _worst_."

They made it all the way to his apartment door before Rowen realized he had not fully thought this through: he hadn't cleaned. Shit. Smothering a grimace, he unlocked the door and led her inside, his eyes darting around the room to assess the easiest spot to clean first.

"It's a little, ah…" Rowen casually brushed his arm against the small of her back before jumping toward the couch and end table, where his school laptop, books, and papers were scattered. Regan slowly came further in, enough to see more books piled on the kitchen table with file folders and journals. She wandered over to it as he muttered half to himself and to her in an apologetic tone, and picked up one of the journals to flip through the pages. Notes, formulas, and equations in his small, hurried writing, as if his hand was not fast enough to keep up with his brain, but it tried. The books were advanced quantum and particle physics, numerical relativity, gravitation and cosmology, other titles that spoke to the sheer genius of the man currently frantically stuffing papers into folders and a briefcase to tame the clutter of a brilliant, messy mind.

Maybe the clutter of his life's work made him feel…safer somehow. More in control. She'd caught glimpses of the inner Rowen he preferred not to let the rest of the world know existed; the one who could be insecure and sensitive to what other people thought of him. The one who hated to be alone. Who also could not sing worth a damn.

"Rowen?" She stopped him in his tracks before he could start carting off the books on the table. "It's okay."

"I'm not the most organized person in the world, but I swear it's only…sometimes like this," he admitted. He still looked a little embarrassed, and it was absolutely adorable.

"It's really not that bad. It's messy," she acknowledged, "but it's the kind of messy that doesn't actually take long to clean up. Everything just needs a home. But don't worry about it right now." She framed his face in her hands and rose on her tiptoes to kiss his nose. "I can help you later, if you'd like. Right now, I want to snoop through your bookshelves."

Rowen chuckled. "Make yourself at home."

* * *

There were so many things Ryo did on his days off; so many things he could be doing right now. He liked to be outside, he liked to visit White Blaze when all his cleaning and grocery shopping was done. He liked to play soccer and go see movies, even if he was by himself. He liked to wander the city and watch people or visit his grandmother. But he could do none of those things for he was still stuck inside the townhome on guard duty.

The couch was pretty much where he lived at the moment and it was boring. Luckily, they had least had cable. Ryo had spent much of his time on the couch with Regan watching TV and movies, but that was getting old and Regan was gone for the weekend. Robyn, though under house arrest herself, was usually scarce. While on approved leave from appearing physically at work, she had still been on the clock translating e-mails and other correspondence between the company she worked for and their many English-speaking clients around the world.

That was what Ryo assumed she was doing right now, even though it was after normal business hours. The place was dead silent. Even the TV was off at the moment as Ryo fiddled on his phone, trying to stay entertained.

Eventually, he heard Robyn exit her room and enter the bathroom, but was only slightly aware as he was still engrossed with trying to watch soccer on his phone. It was only after she had been in there for a while that his curiosity took over. For one thing, she hadn't closed the bathroom door all that time. For another, he kept hearing the sink water run on and off in short intervals. Maybe she was cleaning. He thought he should check just to make sure.

After a cautious peek around the door frame, he found Robyn camped by the sink, holding a warm, wet rag against the cut on her arm. Her eyes were closed, elbows resting against the counter as if she didn't have the strength to stand on her own.

Ryo had a feeling she was aware he was there. The place was too silent for her not to hear him approach. He leaned against the frame, hands in his pockets. "How do they feel?"

"Same as always," Robyn said, eyes still closed. "It's fine."

"Will you let me look at them this time?"

Robyn took a moment to think about it. Before, she would have blushed and flustered at the idea of letting Ryo inspect both the overt wounds and the ones hidden under her clothes. After their talk, after Ryo had told her he wasn't interested in her in that way, the panic and embarrassment just weren't there anymore. It really was a blessing to know how he felt. No more wondering. And now, for some reason, she didn't care at all what part of her he saw.

"Yeah, if you want." She sat herself heavily upon the toilet lid while Ryo referred to the cupboard beneath the sink to fetch out his small medical kit. With all the familiar instruments splayed on the counter, Ryo reached for the cloth Robyn still pressed to her arm. She gave it up instantly, no longer caring to put up a fight against his nosy sensibilities.

Ryo frowned at what he saw. The wound looked almost newly stitched, save for the angry redness around the stitches, evidence that they had been there for a while irritating the skin. It was also proof that the cut wasn't healing at all. With his thumbs, he pressed on either side of the cut, squeezing out yellow liquid and a bit of blood. Robyn stiffened as he did this, breathing out of her nose, but otherwise made no sound of pain. Ryo continued, moving along the length of the cut, squeezing until there was less yellow liquid and only the cleansing red blood oozing out.

"I worry these are going to get infected," he said lowly as he wiped her arm.

"Me, too," Robyn agreed. "I'm trying to keep them clean as best I can."

He placed the back of his hand to her forehead and then the side of her neck. "No fever?"

"Not at the moment. It was bad when I first got back from the hospital. Now it just comes and goes."

"It's because your body's working hard and nothing's happening."

She shrugged a little. "Don't know what else I can do about that."

They needed to find her monster and kill it, that's what had to be done. But that would probably mean putting Robyn in a situation where she could possibly be harmed even more. Ryo didn't like that trade-off one bit.

Quickly, he wrapped her arm with practiced ease, sitting himself on the lip of the nearby tub as he did so. When he finished, he leaned back to look at all of her. "Okay, show me the next one."

Robyn's first response was to mentally go through all the different cuts she bore to try to figure out which would be the least embarrassing to expose. Then she remembered it didn't matter to her anymore.

"You'll probably want to check the ones on my back since Rae isn't here to help me clean them." As she spoke, she removed her shirt, leaving her in a modest sports bra. Two of the cuts were still hidden beneath it and she began to remove it as well.

Immediately, Ryo glanced away at her nudity. Interesting. She would have guessed it was all the same to him. Just another patient; and it certainly wouldn't have been the first naked woman he had ever seen since he had a live-in girlfriend for a while.

Ryo handed her a towel to cover herself before looking her way again. This time, she sat in the tub facing the wall so Ryo could have access to her now naked back. She felt his fingers on the first bandage.

"Pull slowly," she warned, a little trepidation in her voice.

Ryo soon discovered why she said that as he found the soiled gauze pasted to her skin by the liquids constantly oozing from the wounds that refused to heal. It took some hot water and gentle coaxing to pull the bandages from the skin. One by one, Ryo cleaned each cut and squeezed them clean of unwanted discharge.

Robyn took each one quietly, but she was perspiring a little by the time he reached the large one on her thigh. So far, she had impressed him with her high pain tolerance. Squeezing that one, however, actually caused a few sounds of pain from her and Ryo wasn't surprised. This one was more inflamed than the others, had more nasty discharge. If any of them was near to getting infected, it was this one.

"I want to put you on some strong antibiotics," Ryo spoke. They were the first words he had said nearly the entire time he had been working. "I don't think keeping them clean is will be enough anymore. I'm going to call one of the doctors and have them write you a prescription. You want to go out for a bit?"

Robyn looked up at him as he fished his cell out of his pocket and began thumbing through his contact list. After all that, all her cuts were stinging and she didn't feel that great. At the same time, she was dying to go outside for a bit and get some sun on her face. If it was brief, she could do that.

"Yeah, that sounds nice, actually."

He smiled at her, clearly feeling the same cabin fever that had been creeping up on her. "Great. Go get dressed." As Robyn left to go back to her bedroom to change, Ryo called out to her: "Hey, how do you feel about fighting mutant aliens?"

* * *

Robyn distractedly fumbled for her phone as it rang in her pocket. She set it to her ear, eyes still glued on the TV screen. "Yeah?"

"Hi, it's me," came the familiar voice.

"Cye! Hey! What's up?"

"I was going to ask you that. I went to your place and you're not there."

"Aw, thanks for visiting. I'm at Ryo's. We're eating dinner and playing video games."

"I can hear that from all the screams and sounds of gunfire. What are you playing?"

"Dead Space."

"Of course. That's Ryo's favorite game. Heaven knows why."

"Because you can play the whole thing in one shot and then you're done. Easy," Ryo called, his keen hearing picking up Cye's voice.

"So, having fun with it then?" Cye asked.

"Oh yeah. We-" Robyn made a startled gasp. The monster-like screams and gunshots increased into a wild cacophony. "One minute, Cye. Die! Die, monsters! Come on! I don't have time for your shenanigans. I have dead bodies to loot and stuff to steal."

Ryo suddenly burst into laughter, his shoulders shaking as he tried to aim his crosshair on the screen. Robyn glanced his way, unable to recall the last time she had seen him laugh like that.

"I'm not sure what's going on," Cye said dryly. "I would imagine Kento would be a better match for this conversation."

"Put him on the phone, then," Robyn said, trying to catch the rest of the flying aliens. Ryo sniped the last one before it could fly in her face.

"Kento's not here. He's gone back to live at his own apartment after his "blood-soaked baptism of victory" as he put it."

"Good for him. He earned it. So, do you want to come over and hang out with us?"

"Thank you, but I had better not. Ryo's place is in the opposite direction I'm going and I told Mia I wouldn't be too long. We're doing one last sweep of the wedding to-do list to make sure everything's been covered tonight. I just wanted to see if you were doing well."

"Fine. Ryo's got me on some new meds. I feel like they're helping already."

There was a short pause from Cye's line. By now, they all knew Robyn's wounds weren't healing, despite Sage's best efforts to circumnavigate whatever power kept her wounds open. She knew it worried them. And knowing there was nothing that could be done to fix the problem for now, she downplayed her condition as much as she could.

"Good, good," he finally said. "I'm glad Ryo's looking out for you."

Robyn took a moment to glance fondly in Wildfire's direction. He didn't seem to notice as his eyes were glued to the screen. Being at his apartment and playing games with him had been more fun than the entire several days he had been staying with her and Regan. A large part of that was probably her fault. She needed to let go and just enjoy spending time with them—with all of them—while she still could.

"He's doing a good job," she told Cye. "I'll let you go so you can get home. Talk to you later Cye, love you."

"Love you, too."

* * *

Both Rowen and Regan had a little work to catch up on, which for Rae primarily involved catching up on work email, so they sat on the couch together and spent an hour being productive. After, Rowen put on an American show about comedians getting drunk and talking about a historical event or person. Regan curled into his side, and they laughed and geeked out about the history.

"You need to be on this show. You could talk about Hubble's discoveries or the theory of relativity. I kind of want you to do that now. Can I get you drunk and you can just talk science to me for an hour?"

Rowen grinned at her. "I swear you were made in a lab just for me."

Regan laughed, but oddly, he felt her tense briefly before relaxing. One of her legs was draped over his, and he rested his hand on her jean-clad calf and rubbed it. "I would love to get drunk and give you a private lesson on Edwin Hubble's discovery of other galaxies and the expanding universe."

"I will hang on every word, Professor."

"Good, because there'll be a quiz."

"I actually believe you when you say that."

They were small things, the way she honed in on what he was passionate about, and her accurate perception of the things he would do for the sheer amusement of doing them, like legitimately putting together a quiz to spring on her (which he absolutely wanted to do now), but they made a huge impact. He felt _known_. Regan's head was resting on his shoulder, her hand idly playing with his, she fit perfectly against his body, and she was whispering sarcastic, funny remarks about the show in his ear. Despite everything, he could not remember a time he felt this happy and content.

His brain conjured up a very specific word, and for the first time in his life, it didn't scare him. It just felt like the truth.

They made a simple dinner together, a quick stir fry over rice, and chopped vegetables companionably side by side. "You _can_ cook," Regan said as she watched how precisely he sliced an onion and started on the chicken. He had the look of someone who had done this many times before.

"I've lived mostly alone since I was a teenager, I had to learn sometime."

That's right; Rowen mentioned that his father was so involved in his research that he spent nearly all of his time at his lab, and his mother traveled extensively. But she assumed they were around more when he was still dependent on them. "How often did you see them when you were a teenager?"

"After the divorce, my mother started traveling a lot more on assignments. She probably came home once a month or every two months for a few days, or a week. My dad checked in on the weekends until I was…I think two years away from college."

Regan frowned down at the peppers she was cutting. By no means did she have a normal upbringing after her father died, but…she knew that he would have been involved and active in her and her brother's lives had he lived. It struck her as incredibly selfish and sad for his parents to choose their careers over the caretaking of their own son. And it made her heart break to picture a young Rowen, cooking his own meals, getting himself ready for school, taking care of things on his own, with his parents dropping in like distant relatives to make sure he was alive and hadn't burned the apartment down. Genius or no, that was a lot of responsibility to put on someone that young. And it was a lonely way to grow up.

"They love me," Rowen stressed after her long silence. "And I've always been self-sufficient, for the most part. They just have demanding jobs. You'd love my mom; she's a great writer and investigative reporter. Lively, a lot of fun. I think you'd like each other."

She wasn't so sure about that. Regan couldn't help but feel protective of anyone robbed of a present, responsible mother. And it sounded like Rowen didn't have that. Love wasn't enough sometimes. Love without action was just a word. But she could hear the fondness in his voice when he spoke of her so…she couldn't be _terrible_. Just absent and self-involved.

It was only for that fondness that she responded with, "Maybe. I'd like to meet her." She could see it coming on his face—he'd ask about her mom again, one of a few bones he liked to pick up and gnaw at for while because she gave him deliberately vague answers or changed the subject—so she headed off the question with, "So I noticed you have chocolate chips in your pantry. Can I bake something later?"

He knew what she'd done, and even turned to narrow his eyes at her, but she only smiled, perfectly aware and unapologetic. He wagged the knife at her, said, "I'm on to you, Sundari," and gave her permission to bake.

She didn't get to bake unaccosted, though. Rowen wanted to help, and the whole process was slowed by him nuzzling into her neck while she mixed ingredients, then got flour on both of them in her attempt to get him away.

"Why do you resist?" he teased, stilling her with a hand around her waist and pressing her against him. He slowly kissed down her throat. "I know you like it," he murmured between kisses.

"I'm trying to bake," she said weakly. "You're distracting me."

"Achievement unlocked."

"You are _such_ a dork," she whispered. Regan forgot about the batter, wrapped as she was in a cocoon of Strata, breathing in the scent of him, feeling his hands on her and his lips on her skin. This man effortlessly left her defenseless and needy for him, and it was still so new and huge that it left her weak-kneed and flustered. Their lips met in a series of unhurried kisses that had Regan twisting her fingers in his shirt. After a few delicious minutes, Regan pulled away.

"I love making out with you," she said frankly. "But do you know what I would love more right now?"

"Me naked?" he tested.

She trailed a finger down his chest teasingly, and watched his eyes darken. She rose on her tip toes until her lips were a breath away from his. "Chocolate chip banana bread," she whispered in a sultry voice.

His lips curved. "Well played, you little punk."

They made quick work of pouring the batter into the loaf tin and putting it in the oven. While they waited and the scent of chocolate chip banana bread filled the apartment they cleaned up; or rather, Rowen lifted her up and onto the counter, and he washed bowls and dishes while she dried and put them in the cupboard by her head. As they talked, she occasionally poked him in the backside with her foot and he'd flick water at her.

"That show has emotional depth!"

"It is the weirdest shit on American television, I don't even know how it classifies as a children's show."

"Kids can relate. It teaches them _life lessons_. And I'm so sure you were watching age-appropriate material when you were ten, genius boy."

"I think your deep and abiding love for this show is clouding your judgment."

"I know you'd love it if you gave it a chance. You haven't even seen the episode where Finn meets Abraham Lincoln on Mars. Or the hug wolf. I need to give you an Adventure Time education."

Twenty minutes later, they were wolfing down slices of banana chocolate chip bread and watching Adventure Time episodes streamed from Rowen's computer and laughing hysterically. Rowen's sides hurt, and it was only made worse when Regan gave a dead-on Lumpy Space Princess impression. They ended up stretched out on the couch with Regan draped over him, his gales of laughter making her giggle. She raised her head to look at him, still smiling, and they locked eyes. Rowen's laughter faded away, and he reached up to tuck her hair behind her ears.

"I think we should have sleepovers more often," he said.

She stretched to kiss him softly. "I agree. Too bad you don't have enough sheets for a fort."

"Oh, we can fix that. I have more linens in the closet."

She scrunched her nose at him, smiling. "Let's save that activity for next time when I'm feeling one hundred percent. Something to look forward to."

Rowen smiled back, looking very amiable to the suggestion. "I'll hold you to it."

* * *

The night grew late, and while Rowen was still wide awake, Regan was fading fast. They retired to the bedroom, and she walked around his space, peering at the titles of more books on a bedside dresser, trailing her fingers over his clothes in the closet. She found an amusing, faded graphic tee, and plucked it from the lineup. "Can I wear this?"

" _Please_ do."

She went to the bathroom to change, and Rowen watched her retreat. Her bag was on the floor, and her sweet, lightly floral scent hung in the air after she left. It hit him hard that he wanted this all the time; he could have nights like this, with Rae, whenever he wanted. In a perfect world where she stayed.

The reminder that she was here on a work visa, and her home was in Oregon an ocean away, threatened to destroy the faint grasp he had on a bright, deeply desired future. He didn't want to think about it yet, even though he could sometimes feel time slipping through his fingers. Cye and Mia's wedding was little more than two weeks away. And Regan's job ended not a week after. But one thing at a time. Keep her safe, kill the rest of the monsters, and get through this mess first.

When Regan returned, she climbed onto the bed and into his lap, sighing deeply as she hugged him and rested her head on his shoulder. "How are you feeling?" he asked, and Regan let his deep, masculine voice wash over her.

"Tired. Safe. Wonderful. Thank you for stealing me."

Rowen held her tighter. "Anytime."

"I wish I could stay up with you longer, but I'm so tired." Regan gave a massive yawn to punctuate her statement.

"Get all the rest you can, we still have the rest of the weekend to spend together."

Regan put her arms around his neck. "Mmm, sounds good. Good night." She kissed his cheek and then climbed off to slip under the covers with a languid stretch of her whole body. "Are you going to sleep, too?"

Rowen glanced at the clock. It was nearly 10pm. Still a good hour or two before he usually went to sleep. "I'll be in bed, but I'm going to read a bit first. Will you be okay with the lamp light on?"

Regan's eyes were already closed. "I'll probably be out in just a few minutes. Don't even worry about it, babe."

Rowen turned off the bedroom light before settling back into bed. As Regan already looked as though she were drifting off, he glanced at his small "to read" pile of books on the nightstand. The book titled _Fuan no Tane_ was at the top of that pile, untouched. He had spent so much time at the girls' townhome that he forgot he'd left the volume loaned to him by Professor Kaneko.

 _Seeds of Anxiety._ That's what the title translated to in English.

He glanced back at his sleeping girlfriend's form; remembered how helpless she had been when she was attacked, how the creature rendered her abilities useless. How sick it made her when she saved herself. Now more than ever he was acutely aware of what he stood to lose should anything happen to her, and it was intolerable.

Jaw clenched, Rowen picked it up and inspected the dark cover dubiously. Why did the professor want to give him this collection of morbid comics? Rowen had had just about all he could stomach of urban legends these days. But the part of him that could leave no book in his possession unread insisted he look inside.

The comics within were brief and stark; the art reflecting the tone of the collection, the storytelling never messing with setup or development. Just jumping right in with each urban legend. Most of which Rowen had never heard of before. They were so short, Rowen breezed through each story, eating up page after page in a matter of minutes. Then he reached a particular story and dropped the book in his lap.

"The hell?" he squeaked in a strangled voice. The book slid from his fingers and dropped in his lap, closing itself.

Regan stirred at the noise. "What?" she asked tiredly.

Rowen inspected the book. The particular story he was reading had a date and place on it, as if it were a real event: Hokkaido, 1989. The book was published in 2012. That was too early. That was way too early for anything in this book to be a part of what was going on.

"What is it?" Regan asked again when he didn't answer. She rose up on one elbow, blinking as she pushed hair from her face.

"I... I think I found Robyn's monster," Rowen replied in a hollow voice, staring at the book.

They had never been able to find a legend or creature that was close to what had been going after Robyn. All the others were somewhat identified to something in Japanese lore. Not that anyone spent too much time worrying about looking, not when these creatures were still prowling around, waiting for an attack.

Regan slid the book off her boyfriend's lap to get a good look at it. Rowen gave it up as he got out of bed and paced the room a bit. This particular short comic was titled "The Ear-Slashing Monk." In the story, two girls are walking down the sidewalk, quietly discussing a stranger who is following them. The stranger's face is never shown in the comic. The artist only draws a body standing behind a pole, one bloodied coat sleeve visible as the person holds some sort of shears. The girls hear the _snict_ of the blades and one of the girls' ears falls off into the snow.

Regan felt a chill. It was close to what had been attacking Robyn. It was very, very close.

She glanced up to find Rowen with his cell to his ear, still pacing the small bedroom. Regan assumed he was calling Mia, or even Sage, to discuss his new findings.

"Ah! Professor Keneko!" Rowen straightened as the other end was answered. "I am sorry to call so late. I hope I didn't wake you. This is Rowen Hashiba, Mia's colleague?"

"No, certainly not a night owl like me," came the reply. The aged scholar sounded more than happy to receive such a late-night call. "How can I help you?"

"I've been reading the book you loaned me, I had a few questions about it. Like where did these stories come from? I'm not familiar with them."

"I believe they were all local legends from around the country sent in to the author to illustrate. They're all modern stories, e-mailed in to the artist recently. Quite an interesting collection, aren't they?"

"The one about the ear-slashing monk, is this a modern take on an older legend?"

The older man took a moment to think. "Not that I can think of off the top of my head. Why? Does it remind you of one?"

It reminded him of something that nearly killed his friend. How was he supposed to get more information without sounding like a lunatic raving about monsters?

"I just... do you think there's a relation between some of the old classic urban legends and new ones like the ones in this book?"

"I'm afraid I don't follow. What do you mean, Hashiba-san?

Rowen breathed out loudly, agitated but trying to keep his wits about him. "What would you say is the source of all urban legends, professor?"

"Easy, man's fear of the unknown, and that strange joy we get out of a good scare."

"Yes, but what about a physical source? Some place, some _thing_ that all legends and monsters are grown from; the old and the new?"

"I'm afraid I'm not grasping what you're asking for."

Running a frustrated hand through his hair, Rowen turned and looked at Regan, sitting up in bed watching him. He glanced down at the book still open on the bed.

"Say I'm writing a fictional novel about many different urban legends come to life, both old and new ones. I want them all to sprout from the same source. This source would have to be ancient in origin, right? Because these monsters have been around for centuries. But then how do I explain how new, modern urban legends would spring from that same source? How would that be possible?"

"Ahhh, Hashiba-san, forgive my confusion. Now I see what you are trying to do. Let's see..." Rowen heard the wooden sound of desk drawers opening and closing and the rustle of paper from the other end. "Ah, yes. Another colleague and I were just discussing this a few days ago. There is an obscure creature of legend that is not well known, even to historians. In fact, it's more a concept than anything solid. In fact, it doesn't even have a name.

"People of ancient times believed there was an entity that lived in the dark depths of the world that fed on the fear of man. It had a way to see into people's thoughts and to manifest itself into what they were afraid of. As in, it was the monsters of legend, these stories brought to life to keep people afraid. It was said when it found its victims, it would hunt them, live off their fear first for days, maybe weeks. Only after it had had its fill, would it then consume their flesh.

"If this thing were real, it would be possible that it could manifest itself even as modern monsters thought up by new generations, for it can read the minds of the people so it knows what people fear. Does this help you, Hashiba-san?"

"Yes! Yes it does!" In fact, it had given Rowen a near _Eureka!_ moment. So much made sense now! "Thank you so much for letting me pick your brain, Professor. This is very helpful. Sorry again for calling so late."

"Any time. You have yourself a good night, Hashiba-san. And good luck on your book."

Regan continued to watch her boyfriend as he hung up and then breathed out long and low. She had seen how his eyes lit up during the conversation. He had found something important.

"Yeah?" she pressed, urging Rowen to share what was going on in his mind.

He sat down next to her, still looking a little shocked from it all. "I was just told something very interesting."

* * *

A moth threw itself haphazardly around the naked bulb, simultaneously scalded and drawn to the light and heat. Robyn watched it circle and circle, strangely mesmerized by it as if her subconscious was telling her this was something important.

Eventually, she felt the urge to move on. Dressed in combat gear, she felt the weight of the futuristic energy weapon in her hands. She was equipped exactly as the character she had played in that video game before she fell asleep.

Robyn was slightly aware she was in a dream; this was typical for her. When she slept, there was always a tiny corner of her consciousness aware this was not reality. Only enough to be aware, never enough to control anything that happened while she dreamed.

She moved forward down empty corridors with dented, blood-spattered walls and exposed pipes. Lights were low and flickering, darkened corners everywhere she looked. Her environment was creepy to look at, but also silent. There did not seem to be anything slithering through the vents or hiding around the corners.

This level has already been cleared, said the part of her that knew this was a reflection of the video game she had been playing all evening. The corridor opened into a warehouse-like space, the bare walls stretching out around her. The far wall held a collection of arcane symbols and Robyn recognized this place. It was the old, dilapidated building that had called to her. She had cleared it several weeks before. Before all the real weirdness began.

Then, all the finite details disappeared as if her brain forgot to keep the background graphics going. The walls disappeared and there was a remaining vastness of black that felt like a space small and infinite at the same time. Above her hung a naked yellow bulb, and now a whole collection of moths cluttered blindly around it. Once again, she felt this was significant for some reason.

Then, she heard the sound. That sharp noise that grated on her nerve endings, that had been haunting her dreams for weeks.

 _Snict. Snict. Snict._

The sound of blade against blade, she lived in fear of hearing that noise. Why did it have to follow her into her dreams? She tensed, waiting for the following pain, the slicing of her flesh.

 _Snict. Snict._

Her monster was here with her. Somewhere out there in the darkness. Watching her stand under her tiny bulb of light with its moth groupies. It was out there waiting for the right time to strike.

 _Screeeeeeee._

This second sound was different. Metallic still, but more akin to metal against glass. There was suddenly a window, as if it had always been there, she just never noticed. On the other side of the glass was not her monster, but the slit-mouthed woman. Her fingers were made of scalpel blades and she scratched them on the glass in morbid askance to be allowed inside. Her face was different than Robyn had imagined her. She was supposed to just have slits in the side of her mouth, cut to make it wider. This woman's mouth had been cut into a huge U-shape, the ends trailing up high past her cheek bones to her eyes. The jaw curved up the same way, sharp teeth exposed all the way up.

She heard the sound of her own monster's metallic shears sound once again, somewhere in the darkness. The moths continued to flutter overhead.

They're all here, Robyn's subconscious told her. All three of the monsters are right here.

 _I called them here._

* * *

Robyn awoke with a quick inhale of breath. Glancing around an apartment that was not her own. She lay on Ryo's couch, a blanket tucked up to her chin. She sat up to the morning light streaming through the half-open blinds. She stood and walked over to the window, tugging the cords that pulled the blinds all the way up, letting the full sunlight in. The day was bright and full of energy. And she was filled with the urge to act.

Ryo grimaced when she burst into his bedroom and yanked open the thick blackout drapes he had installed on his own window. Wildfire groaned at the sun's pleasant insistence.

"Get up, we have to go," Robyn told him.

"Now? Why?" he complained as he closed his eyes in order to block out the light.

With one knee on his bed, Robyn leaned forward to grab his face, lightly slapping his cheeks. "Get up, or I'm going monster hunting without you."

* * *

Ryo drove his little truck, frowning slightly. One hand held a styrofoam cup with coffee while the other hand steered. His brain hadn't been awake enough to formulate proper follow up questions when Robyn insisted they had to go. Now he was regretting not getting more information. Before he knew it, Robyn had purchased him some caffeine from the corner store and they were driving off through the city.

"Turn here, that's the building," Robyn said, pointing out the window.

He pulled up before a nearly finished apartment structure, the sign of the construction company building it still displayed proudly out front. Ryo sized it up through the windshield. "Isn't this the building Regan's company is working on?"

Robyn was already getting out of the truck and Ryo hurried to follow. He quickly downed the last of his coffee, tossing it into a trash receptacle as he trailed her up to the building's main doors. With it being the weekend, the construction crew was absent and with the building nearly to completion, the doors were locked.

Ryo watched Robyn yank fruitlessly at the doors and then stand back to eye the entire building. He glanced at their surroundings, on guard though he didn't feel like there was anything dangerous in the area. Should he be letting Robyn drag him around in the open like this? He had yet to see her monster in action for his own eyes. All he had ever seen was the aftermath of the attacks. As such, he was not confident he could protect her from her monster when others before him had not succeeded. Even though he did not sense danger, the longer they were out in the open, the antsier he became.

"Explain to me again what we're doing here," he requested, glancing around suspiciously once more. "You said you had a dream that told you to come here?"

"My dream was hardly that coherent. My instincts are telling me to come here. Can you get us to the roof?"

"Why?"

"I'm pretty sure Regan's monster is the weakest. It's never tried to physically harm her because it can't. And I think I can get it to show itself without Regan being present. I think I can call it."

The hair on the back of Wildfire's neck stood up and he took her arm to get her to look at him. "Hold on, why would you want to do that?"

Her green eyes were vivid and intense, drilling into his blue. "I think I can beat it. Or at least stun it enough that you can kill it. And if we can get rid of it, we should try. I don't want it coming after Regan again if I can protect her. And, if I can bring this one to us, then I can probably do that to Sage's, too. Haven't you guys had trouble with that one? If I can make the monster appear when we want it to, then you guys can kill it. Isn't that what you want?"

Ryo's grip on her dropped as he tried to take it all in. He wished Rowen or Sage was here to offer a second opinion on this plan. His brain just didn't process as fast as theirs when it came to things like this.

"You have to let me try, Ryo," she pushed with determination. "Worst-case scenario: the monster won't even show up without Regan here."

Ryo frowned. "That's not the worst that could happen."

"Ryo, let me try. There are very few instances in this world where I feel like what I can do is useful to anyone. I _feel_ it here. I can connect with this energy. I can make them come when we want them to and we can use that to our advantage. If we can end this faster, shouldn't we try?"

He stood there for several moments, thinking, weighing the dangers. Robyn let him take the time he needed. His answer was to suddenly scoop her up in his arms. She made a surprised squeak as subarmor replaced his clothes.

"Hold on," he told her.

Robyn barely managed to get her arms around his neck before they were in the air, rebounding off the side of the building, going higher and higher until they landed on the rooftop. Robyn didn't realize she had been holding her breath the entire time until she had the need to breathe. It came out as a whoosh of air and Ryo set her down, looking a little pleased with himself.

He should be, Robyn supposed. No normal person would be able to do such a thing, let alone with another body in their arms. She had to take a moment to breathe, to get her heart rate back to normal as she gazed at the city. Even after knowing them this long, having seen what they can do, it still awed and amazed her at times.

Ryo allowed her a moment to recover before she turned back to him again. "Okay, so if this girl shows up, do not look her in the face, no matter what. That's how she gets you."

"Do you think you're the one in charge here?" he asked with the raise of one brow.

She raised a brow of her own. "I'm the one with the plan. What do you have?"

Ryo attempted, and failed, to keep a serious face. He chuffed out a laugh in surrender. "Fine. What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to let me try. You're here to make sure I'm not the next person to walk off this rooftop. And if my plan doesn't work, you get to do it your way, deal?"

"I am pretty good at improvising," he admitted.

"Just promise me you'll give me a chance to try before you jump in." Then she quickly added with a jab of a finger: "And don't look her in the face."

"I'm not going to!" Wildfire shouted back. "If you are even going to be able to get her here in the first place."

Both glared a challenge at each other for a moment before Robyn turned away. She wasn't about to tell Ryo, but she could already feel the residual energy of the creature on this rooftop. Around the whole building, actually. It called her attention just as the old warehouse had once called her.

You're here, she thought. You're all connected to the same thing. I can feel your strings all going back to the same source. Don't attach yourself to Regan, attach to me.

With her senses, she reached out to those strings and her touch stimulated it like a signal through a telegraph wire. In one moment, they were alone on the roof. The next blink, the no-face girl stood before them. Robyn heard Ryo gasp behind her but she dared not glance in his direction. Instead, she kept her gaze rooted firmly to the top of the girl's head. For the first time in her life there was vindication. She finally found it useful that dark things were drawn to her and she to them.

The heavy sound of subarmor in motion caused Robyn to shoot her arm out, reminding Ryo to not interfere until she had tried her best. The monster and the redhead regarded each other carefully. Robyn could nearly feel the creature's confusion at being summoned where its allotted prey was nowhere to be found. But just as she hoped, the no-face girl seemed to settle for her just fine. In a burst of fluttering movement, it rushed her. Robyn responded out of reflex, sending a burst of energy against it.

The no-face girl dissolved before her eyes. She fell into hundreds of fluttering pieces; an eclipse of gray and white moths clouding toward her, still aggressive in their manner. They hovered and then sharpened like tiny arrowheads, all poised to strike at her.

"Ryo!"

The ronin stepped protectively in front of her, Wildfire's energy poised and aware of the danger. The tiny sharpened blades rushed for him and the armor reacted. Robyn saw from behind, just a flicker of the Wildfire's armor silhouette Ryo's form. She felt a different burst of energy, and heat, coming from the man in front of her, and the many tiny attackers all burst into flames. There was a high-pitched squeal of pain in the air as the moth-like creatures fluttered feebly to the ground and turned to ash.

Ryo continued to remain on guard for several moments after, waiting for any sign the job was not finished. But all was clear and calm. There was no sense of impending danger on the wind and he glanced behind him.

"We did it." He put a hand on Robyn's shoulder. She was shaking slightly. "You and I just made a really good team."

Robyn let out a shaky breath. The exhilaration of this ability she had always been so ashamed of now finally useful was still washing over her.

"I guess... I guess we did."

* * *

Regan awoke with a start. For a moment she didn't know where she was; not her bed, not her room. A sliver of sunlight pushed its way in past closed curtains, the room otherwise dark. Then she felt the weight of him next to her, Rowen's arm draped over her stomach as if she were a teddy bear.

And another weight was gone.

She sat up, not really seeing the room as she tried to assess what was different. She felt curiously lighter, as if a heaviness she hadn't realized she carried vanished.

"It's gone," she whispered as a flash of insight hit her. She didn't know how, but the no-face girl that tried again and again to trick her into taking her own life had released its hold on her. It felt a little bit like the times some unwanted thing had followed Robyn home, and then the redhead tossed it out like so much garbage. The peace and relief in the house upon its departure now felt like it lived in her chest.

To be sure, Regan scrambled out of bed for Rowen's bathroom. Rowen started awake at her absence, panic stirring in his gut at how fast she left the bed. "Rae?" He followed, tripping over a blanket trailing the floor in his haste. He found her in the bathroom, and let out a hiss at the bright, fluorescent light that greeted his eyes. Regan was turned around in front of the mirror with his shirt pulled down to expose her left shoulder blade.

"She's gone," his girlfriend breathed.

Rowen turned her so he could see it himself. The mark was indeed gone, leaving behind nothing but smooth, brown skin.

When she whirled to face him, the relieved, happy smile spreading across her face faded at his frown. "This is…a bad thing?"

"I wanted to be the one to kill that bitch," he admitted. "Damn it."

Regan laughed, ruffled his bedhead hair, and then leapt at him for a hug. "Don't worry, you're still my hero."


	16. Chapter 15

Author's Notes: I apologize for the very late update. It has been mostly my fault with relocating for a new job, along with some health problems. Willows has been extremely patient with me though I have been holding up the project. We're hoping to get back on track now and maybe even another new chapter sometime this month. Thank you everyone for patiently waiting.

 **Urban Legend**

 **Chapter 15**

"You stole my thunder," Rowen accused that Sunday afternoon as he shut and locked the front door behind him and Regan.

"You were too slow," Robyn quipped back. She noticed Regan coming in for a hug and held out a warning hand. "I'm still mad at you for leaving me."

"I don't care!" Regan moved in anyway, hugging her tight so they were cheek to cheek. "Just look at what you accomplished while I wasn't here. My hero."

Rowen looked offended. "I thought _I_ was your hero."

"I can have more than one. Are you okay?" Regan reared back to look Robyn in the face. "How are your cuts?" The brunette laid a warm hand over Robyn's forehead to feel for a fever.

"Ryo gave me some antibiotics; they're helping a little."

"I can't believe you managed to get my creature." Regan gave her a proud smile. "I wish I could have ended her miserable existence myself, but you came to my rescue."

"I'm not the one who killed her," Robyn stressed. "I just figured out how to make her show up when we wanted her to. Ryo killed her. I couldn't have done it myself."

Regan smiled and stroked Robyn's hair. "Thank you, anyway for helping. I would give more than anything to return the favor and get your scissor-happy bastard."

She smiled back. "It's not your job, Rae, it's theirs."

"Damn right it is," Rowen said, mussing up the redhead's hair as he continued further inside.

It was only when Rowen moved past them to greet the others in the townhome that she realized everyone had descended on their residence, and the kitchen was full. When Ryo came up to usher them into the kitchen, Regan had a hug for him, too. "And thank _you_ , Ryo."

"Oh, I'm back to Ryo now?"

"I think you've earned it."

Mia made a beeline for Rowen as he crossed the living room to drop off Regan's weekend tote in her room. "Did you bring the book?"

"Yeah, it's in my bag. Do we have food? I smell food."

"There is food," Kento's voice boomed from the kitchen. "Now if everyone'll get in here, we can eat and talk about ending this thing."

There was more space in the living room for everyone instead of the smaller kitchen, so they all sat very much like they did on the first night the girls arrived, except they used the couch and pillows to sit on instead of the floor and some boxes. Rowen filled them in on his conversation with Professor Kaneko while Mia thumbed through the book he offered. When he finished, the room was silent as they absorbed the new information and ate.

Kento couldn't remain silent for long. "They've been _feeding_ on us? Like…leeches?"

Rowen nodded. "Yeah. On our fear; our stress. If this is truly the same type of thing we're dealing with. So far, it sounds about right."

"They fed on us."

"Metaphysically speaking, yeah."

"…they—"

"Now that we've established that these things feed on our fear before attacking," Cye interrupted Kento with an exasperated expression, "can we move on? It's gross as it is."

"You're damn right it's gross," Kento added. The revelation made him feel better about hacking his monster to death. Not that he regretted it or lost an ounce of sleep over it. It had to be done, and that bitch had totaled his jeep. He found it darkly amusing when the insurance company had labeled the accident as an "act of God" when he told them he'd swerved to avoid a deer and hit the tree. It helped that his family had used the same small insurance firm for over two decades and had no reason to doubt him, so he'd lucked out with a replacement jeep by the end of the week.

Still. Feeding on their energy? Yeah, he and the guys had energy to spare because of who they were, but the girls didn't. He looked over at Robyn. She was so pale, even for her, and looked as if a good night's sleep hadn't visited her in weeks. "No wonder Rob's wounds haven't healed," he said.

"Probably," Rowen agreed. "Regan woke up and she just knew something was different when her monster was gone. She immediately looked a lot better, she acted like she felt better. It was possible that mark was making it more difficult for her to heal as well."

"Cye's moved so fast, though," Sage countered. "There was very little time to reap that kind of benefit before it attacked. What did your professor have to say about that one?"

"He doesn't know I have been asking about actual events, so I couldn't be too specific with him on what's going on. It's possible the first monster wouldn't have killed any of us."

"Or, certainly just killing Cye would have made the rest of us positively ripe for feeding upon our fear." Mia said. She shivered at the thought and Cye rubbed her back in assurance. Everyone was here and safe right now. They were slowly winning. They could do this.

Rowen shrugged. "It's an imperfect theory, but it's all we have so far. It makes sense."

"Did this guy say anything about how we can beat these things for good?" Kento asked.

"He mentioned something about all these creatures manifesting from the same source, but they do seem capable of being killed the old-fashioned way."

"Right," Ryo agreed. "We're beating these guys, we only have a few left to go. I don't see why we shouldn't keep going with what works. We take them out carefully, one by one."

"We should go after Robyn's next," Cye stated firmly. "The sooner we kill it, the sooner she'll heal."

"The only problem with that is I don't know where to look for it," Robyn said. "Regan's monster really liked that building for some reason, it showed up there multiple times. I could sense it as soon as we pulled up. That's why I could call it so easily. Mine has only shown up twice—in completely different locations weeks apart."

"It also doesn't like to get close, does it," Sage mused with a grim look. "I was there the last time and I couldn't even see where it was."

"Me neither," she agreed.

"Greedy thing just wants to watch and feed. No need to kill, it's already getting all it wants out of this."

"Ew, Rowen, don't put it like that!" Cye protested.

"I have been giving it a good meal," Robyn admitted. She was suddenly so mad at herself for letting the fear of this thing alone control her. She heard that metallic sound of blade on blade in her nightmares nearly every night. That thing was probably all bloated up like a tick by now.

"What if we hit Sage's instead? Tonight," Ryo suddenly put in. He had obviously been chewing on this thought for a while. "We do the same thing we did for Regan's. We know it likes Sage's dojo. If we brought Robyn to call it out..."

"No," Cye cut in.

"No, that's a _hell_ no," Regan added even as Robyn perked up at the idea. Or, perhaps, because of it.

"You haven't seen how fast this thing is, Ryo," Sage said more calmly than the others. "I can't protect her and fight it at the same time."

"You won't be doing both," Wildfire insisted. "We'll all be there. She can't fight all five of us. Robyn will be safe and there will be one less monster by tomorrow."

"Sage's, then," Ryo decided when no one else said anything. "We go to the dojo tonight. I want all hands on deck for this one; we'll stand a better chance of not losing track of Sage's monster. I want this one and done, I don't want her to have an opportunity to leave. We finish it tonight and then we'll worry about the next one."

"The sooner the better, the wedding's next weekend," Mia found herself saying.

"Yes, get rid of Sage's first," Robyn jumped in. "If mine's still around, I just won't go to the wedding, but I don't want Sage to miss it."

"We came all the way out here for Cye's wedding. You're not missing it," Regan informed Robyn. "I'll find the bastard myself before next weekend if I have to."

"No one's going after any monster alone, no matter what day it is," Rowen jumped in, eyeballing his girlfriend.

"We got it!" Ryo announced, irritation sharpening his voice. All other protests were cut off. "No one's going after monster's alone. No one's missing the wedding. And no one's going to even have a monster before this weekend because the five of us are going to pick the rest of them off one by one."

"Including yours?" Rowen asked with the raise of a curious brow.

"If Ryo even has one," Kento muttered.

Ryo rubbed the back of his neck where his mark was. No one had seen his monster, but he was sure it was out there. Perhaps it, of all of them, knew better to stay away. Ryo was a live and let live kind of person. If he found a spider in his apartment, he would just remove it to a better location. If whatever was tied to him never bothered to hurt anyone, he would not hunt it.

"Let's focus on tonight for right now. Robyn, will you help us?"

Despite her sallow complexion, the redhead's brows furrowed with determination. "Yes. Whatever you need me to do."

Ryo nodded. "Good."

Something in the way he said that, or the decisive nod he gave her, warmed Robyn to her toes. It didn't feel the same from when she was still grappling with her crush; that warmth held the jittery edge of nerves, almost oppressive and uncomfortable, like being much too close to a bonfire. This was a welcome, gratifying sort of warmth. She felt like she'd earned his respect in a way. Not that he didn't respect her before, but here he was, one of the most absurdly protective men on the planet, recognizing that her talent was an asset and inviting her to use it again in a dangerous situation. She was a part of his plan to take down an enemy—not just someone to protect, but someone who brought something to the table and could help. For a few precious moments, Robyn didn't even feel her wounds with how amazing this felt.

"Just a reminder," Mia spoke up. "My parents are flying in the day after tomorrow and staying at the manor for the next week and a half. Even after we're off on our honeymoon, they're going to be at the house."

"We're thrilled, really," Cye drolled. Mia nudged him in the stomach and he laughed. "I'm kidding, love, I can't wait to meet them."

"We'll make sure nothing happens," Rowen said with optimism. "Sage's is taken care of tonight. By Monday, we're working out a plan for Robyn's."

"All right!" Kento clapped his hands together. "We've got a deadline and a plan. This feels good. I bet we'll be monster-free by the weekend. Want me to bring my machete?"

"No."

"Yes."

Cye and Rowen glared at each other. "You can honestly say you don't want to see Kento go Leatherface on a monster?"

"I can honestly say I don't, Rowen."

* * *

"Are you dressed warm enough? It's been getting a little cool when the sun goes down, do you want a jacket or a hoodie?"

"I'm fine, quit mothering me!" Robyn slapped Regan's hands away. Then paused, opened the front door and stuck her head out. "…maybe a hoodie."

"I thought so."

Robyn went to her room to fetch something warmer, and Regan stood in the living room, worrying her lower lip. When Rowen came out of the kitchen, she eyed him but didn't say anything.

He knew what her expression meant. "No."

Her shoulders slumped. "I know she'll be in good hands with you guys, but I can—"

"Absolutely not." Rowen came up and rubbed her arms. "You're safer here, now that your danger's out of the way. There's no guarantee your ability will be effective _and_ you're still recovering. We have to be pragmatic about this, which means the less bodies we have to protect, the better. I'll feel a lot better knowing you're here safe at home."

Regan pursed her lips, but nodded. "I get it. I don't like it, but I'll stay put."

He kissed her forehead. "Thank you."

"Besides, otherwise I'd be left here alone," Mia put in. "Would you really do that to me?"

Regan laughed. "No, I'm sorry. You and I will have a great time pretending our thoughts aren't occupied with monsters and worrying about everybody."

The brunette winked at her. "Sounds like a plan."

Robyn came back into the main room, wearing a hoodie that, surprisingly, looked to be her size instead of something she had stolen from one of her male friends. She was by the door, slipping her shoes on when Regan hugged her.

"Good luck, and please be careful."

"I will, Rae. I promise."

"No unnecessary risks, please?"

"Ha! That's funny, coming from you."

Regan wince with a weak smile. "I know, right?"

When the ronins had gathered near the front door to leave, Regan had a parting warning for them. "Guard her with your lives," she said fiercely.

"Done," Ryo said.

"Of course," Kento insisted with a light tone. "She's in good hands."

"No. Not a hair on her head gets harmed, you guys hear me? If you return her to me with a stitch of clothing out of place or a bruise anywhere on her person?" Regan's eyes narrowed. "I will have such revenges on you all."

The deadly, quiet delivery of that last threat made a few of them laugh uneasily.

"She's quoting Shakespeare, by the way," Robyn said. "She doesn't mean it, she just likes to be dramatic."

"I just want you safe." Regan's expression eased into a smile as she gave Robyn one last look over. "Please keep me updated if you can, and—"

"Be careful, I've got it. Please don't blow up my phone while I'm gone. I'm in good hands."

"I'll try not to." As they headed out the door, Regan gave each ronin a meaningful glare, patting Robyn on the head as she passed. "Not a hair!" she called out to them.

"Which play are you promising vengeance from?" Rowen asked after he kissed her goodbye.

"King Lear. I was named after that play's Regan, coincidentally."

"Wasn't she a villain?"

"A _superb_ villain." Regan gave him one last quick kiss. "Remember that."

"You wouldn't hurt a fly if you could help it."

She gave him a funny little smile. "We both know that people are capable of a lot of things, given the situation. And I am dead serious when it comes to Robyn's safety. My mother henning applies to you, too. Be careful."

"Always."

When the door shut behind the five ronins and Robyn, Regan stared at it and sighed. She felt Mia behind her.

"It doesn't really get easier," Mia said quietly.

Regan turned and regarded her. "I don't imagine it would. Do you mind if I ask you some questions? I'd also be happy to help with any wedding stuff you need to take care of, too."

Mia smiled. "That'd be great, thank you. Let's sit down in the kitchen."

* * *

The sun had set when they arrived at the dojo, late in the evening as they were only a few weeks out from the longest day of the year. Cicadas droned in the quiet, empty parking lot, the street lamps recently turned on against the velvet darkness of the coming night. With the dojo tucked away in a part of town with little to no shopping, they hoped the foot traffic would be minimal this time of night.

Two cars pulled into the dojo's empty parking lot, silence between all the passengers as they stepped out. No one else seemed to be around. All five of the warriors donned their subarmors on the spot, ready for battle.

"Ready to do this, Rob?" Kento asked, landing a heavy hand on her shoulder.

She jumped a little at the contact. "I think so. Yes," she said more confidently. "I know we can do this."

He dropped both hands on her shoulders and squeezed. "That's the spirit."

"We do our best to keep it confined to this parking lot," Ryo said as soon as they were all gathered. "Stay on your toes. This one's pretty quick and vicious, isn't she?"

"Like a snake," Sage confirmed.

Ryo then turned to Robyn. "Do your thing. We'll cover you from all sides."

"I'm standing with her." Sage drew closer to Robyn's side, then ushered them both a few feet away from the other four. "Let me know as soon as you feel her coming," he said quietly. "I don't want you anywhere near her blades."

"It doesn't really work that way," Robyn admitted. "When I called the no-face girl, she just suddenly appeared. But maybe they're all different. We'll find out." Sage didn't look happy with that answer, but there was nothing any of them could do about it.

"Robyn?" Cye called. She looked over to him. "We'll keep you safe."

She gave him a smile, even though nerves were starting to jangle around in her stomach. "I know you will."

Ryo, Kento, Cye and Rowen formed a loose circle, their backs slightly toward the two in the middle so they could keep an eye on their surroundings. Sage's arms were loose at his side, but his stance was deceptively relaxed; Robyn could feel tension and power radiating from the blond. That, and Ryo's steady blue gaze on her, gave her a boost of confidence. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and concentrated.

There was nothing there. She had been so distracted with the high that came from the guys looking to her, from them actually needing her, that she had failed to notice that she felt nothing in this area. She had been too cocky and now she was going to let them down. Robyn began to panic. Disappointing them was the last thing she wanted to do, especially when they were finally looking to her for assistance, looking at her like she was one of them. How was she supposed to tell them coming out here was all for nothing?

"Did it take this long last time?" she heard Kento whisper.

"No, but just be patient," Ryo hissed back. "It will happen."

Ryo had faith in her. They all had faith. She couldn't let them down, even though her heart was racing with the fear of doing just that. Robyn couldn't give up now, she had to think. Maybe she was doing something wrong, maybe she could still get a fix on the creature. There had to be something she could try.

The last time, despite it being in the morning, it had felt like her dream when she concentrated: surrounded by darkness with just a single bulb lighting her way. Tonight, even though it was dark, something felt far too light.

Her eyes popped open. "It's you," she accused Sage. "Your light."

"Yes?" he confirmed, unsure what she meant by that.

"You're distracting. I can't get a fix on the darkness with light so close. Go stand over there."

As Sage moved away, Ryo moved to step in closer, since he had been standing right next to her the last time.

Robyn raised her hand to Wildfire, ordering him to stop. "Keep going, a little further," she told Halo, motioning him away.

When all the ronins were in a broad enough circle, she tried again, looking for the darkness she felt the first time. There, she found what she was looking for. She felt the essence of the darkness around her and her senses saw the strings connecting the monsters. They extended out through the city and led back far toward the mountains where they originated. The first time, Robyn thought of these as similar to guitar strings. If she tapped one, it would send a sound toward the intended creature. Now, the more she thought about it, it was more like a spider's web. She would stimulate the string to call the predator toward its captured prey. And no doubt, it would come running.

"Get ready," she said in a soft monotone, eyes closed.

She reached out to the string, the closest one in the area, the one that seemed tied to Halo. She plucked it and felt the vibration pass along down the line, sending the message to a predator who, hopefully, would not be able to refuse the invitation.

Sage felt it immediately, that same energy that made the fine hairs on his body stand on end. They were suddenly in the presence of something unnatural. It was out there in the darkness, somewhere. And with the uncanny feeling came the fog. It materialized as the temperature around them dropped. It smelled like the mist from the mountains and each breath pulled them into its spell. The warriors gathered in closer as the fog grew thick. It was hard enough to see in the dark. This made visibility even worse.

This suddenly seemed like a bad idea.

Sage put an armored hand on Robyn's shoulder, pulling her closer. The fog rippled around them, as if a breeze traveled through the cloudy air. Halo tried to get a fix on his monster. He thought he was pinpointing her movement in the darkness as he glanced back and forth, his gaze trained on the distance. Then he felt the whoosh of air a second before something struck his face.

He heard the song of the fine blade as it sliced and Sage jerked back, his elbow trying to find contact. He felt nothing but a sharp pain on his cheek. Then wetness. He touched his face and looked down at the white armor of his hand, now smeared in his blood.

"Damn it," he hissed. He backed Robyn up toward the others, until her back hit Kento's chest and Hardrock's hands fell on her shoulders.

"You okay, Sage?"

The blood continued to drip and Sage hastily wiped his cheek with the back of his hand. "It will be fine."

"It's still going after Sage," Ryo announced. "Let's keep an eye on him."

"I can handle this, Ryo," Halo snapped back, irritated that he had been blindsided by his monster.

Ryo wisely remained quiet. He wasn't about to start a fight, not when they already had one battle on their hands.

The fog whipped around them. They could see movement, but no solid body. Everyone circled in tighter, eyes wide and searching. Ryo suddenly let out a startled yelp before he fell forward on his face and, in a blink, was dragged into the fog. Rowen, who stood next to him, barked Wildfire's name as he lunged in the direction his teammate had gone. Ryo's startled shouts could be heard in the distance.

The second the group's attention was diverted, the slit-mouthed woman appeared again, blade first, out of the fog. Sage stumbled as the knife swiped fast enough to shave off a few ends of his hair. As he backed up, Cye advanced, an armored fist colliding at an angle on the monster's face. Not a solid hit, but at least he had landed a punch.

Kento moved to help, but Cye held a hand up to stay where he was with Robyn as both Torrent and Halo attacked in tandem and lunged into the fog after the monster. What followed was only a mere second of silence, and then...

 _Snict._

Robyn trembled, her whole body growing cold. Oh God, no.

 _Snict._

He was here. Her monster was here, too. She could just picture him standing somewhere in the darkness with those shears, opening and closing them slowly in anticipation of cutting her flesh. He liked to give the warning sound first. He liked to taste her fear before attacking.

She looked up wild-eyed at Kento, who returned her look with raised brows. Couldn't he hear it, that awful sound? For a split second, her instincts were to run behind him for protection. But what kind of friend would she be, leaving Kento to take the brunt of the attack? Sure, he had his protective subarmor, but what if it hit him in the face or the neck?

"We have to go. We have to go," she stated in a quick, breathy voice, pulling on his arm.

 _Snict._

Kento backed her behind him, glancing around. "I don't think that's a good idea." He raised his voice loud. "Guys? Where are you?"

 _SNICT._

The power of the attack raced toward them from the darkness. In this case, the mist was to their advantage. Kento could see the ruffle of the fog as the attack came. He grabbed Robyn and spun them both out of the way as the otherwise invisible attack passed without connecting with its target. A second came out from the same direction and he dodged that as well. If there had been another Ronin present, one of them could have advanced on the source while the other guarded their friend. Alas, since he was the only one around, there was only one recourse.

Robyn made a surprised squeak as Kento picked her up without explanation. He ran for the single-level building of the Date family school. Robyn made an even louder cry of surprise as he leaped and landed them both on the roof. The fog lingered, leaking up over the rooftop and around them. Kento frowned at the lack of visibility. Even from this height, it didn't feel all that safe.

From somewhere behind the dojo, there was a tangible feel of gathering energy. Moments later, two brightly colored figures leaped onto the roof with them: Ryo and Rowen, now fully bedecked in their Wildfire and Strata armors.

"Hey guys," Kento greeted, happy to see them. "You okay? What happened?"

"Don't know," Rowen replied. "Fog's so thick, never saw what grabbed Ryo, but it ran off as soon as I started chasing."

"Well, it wasn't Robyn's monster. That bastard was here attacking us."

The other two warrior's eyes widened and Rowen let out a curse.

"We shouldn't have brought Robyn here," Ryo said.

"Robyn is right here," Robyn retorted. "And without Robyn, you guys would still be standing around in the parking lot with no monsters."

All three warriors were grim, but they knew she was right.

"Where is it now?" Rowen then asked.

Kento shrugged. "Dunno. It might be too much to hope it disappeared, too. You can't see anything down there. That fog's unreal."

"Should we try to locate Sage and Cye?" Rowen asked.

"No." Ryo glanced out at the sea of mist below them. "Sage and Cye can take care of each other. We don't want to give these creatures an opportunity to gang up on us. The three of us will stay with Robyn."

The eerie, metallic squeal of sharp blades sliding against each other sounded somewhere in the night. The three warriors instantly formed a tight triangle around the redhead, facing outward in all directions. Three against one should have been comfortable odds, but the trio of ronins felt less than confident.

* * *

"Even in the beginning, they never shied away from the role they were thrust into." Mia sipped on her tea, then qualified that statement with, "That isn't to say that they didn't struggle with…the weight of it, I suppose. With the fear of failure, and not being good enough or smart enough. But it never came from a _"Why me?"_ place. Not until after."

"What changed?" Regan's tea had long gone cold as she listened to Mia talk about the war with Talpa, her first encounters with these five incredible men. She didn't shy away from answering Regan's questions, explaining her role, revealing what she had lost and suffered right along with the five boys tasked with saving the world. She did it with a frankness that Regan admired.

Even as Regan asked the question, though, she could see the clear path to the answer. "They thought it would end when Talpa was defeated."

Mia hummed an agreement. "Or they hoped. And I think a small part of them knew, but maybe didn't want to accept, that they would be needed again, and this role is a lifetime commitment. I think it still…I think whatever dreams they had of going back to a normal life were crushed when other things started to happen. They've since come to terms with it, but there was a rough patch in their late teens."

"What happened?"

"Unexpected things. New enemies. A scientist and a witch of some kind went after Sage and his armor, lured him all the way to New York and tried to take it from him."

Regan clasped her mug of tea tightly, and looked down at the amber brown liquid to mentally compose herself after hearing _New York_ and _scientist_ in the same sentence. Her heart squeezed like a fist. Poor Sage. "That must have been awful for him."

"It shook him up. Shook them all up. And then, not half a year later, they found out another armor existed, a dark twin to an armor Ryo could call up when the other four lent their armors to create it."

"Rowen called it Inferno."

"Yes. They hate it. Ryo has always seen it as a necessity, another tool to use, but the other four see it as a necessary evil. It takes a lot out of Ryo. That battle was hard on everyone, and particularly on Cye. He really struggled with their calling that year. He's always been a pacifist at heart, and the fighting and sacrifices just…wore on him. Wore him to the bone."

She could only imagine. "Does it still? Does he tell you?"

Mia gave her a sad smile. "I don't know that he'll ever be comfortable with it, but he's made as much peace with it as he can. The decision he made to fight and to join the others to defeat the other armor was just as much about his love for his friends than a sense of duty. He'll be the first to tell you that he doesn't really do it to "save the world." He does it for them, to protect me, his family; his mother, sister, Robyn. People he cherishes."

"I think that would be a lot of us, when it comes down to it."

"I think you're right."

* * *

Cye and Sage stood back to back, thick fog all around them. It was impossible to see more than a few feet in any direction. The two were still in subarmor, but not for a lack of trying. Sage's monster was clever. Any time they tried to call forth their main armor, the creature would jump in, making it impossible for them to have enough time to finish the summoning.

Internally, Sage wasn't too sure calling forth the Halo armor was the better idea. Yes, the helmet would certainly help protect his face and neck, but the heavier armor would just slow him down. This thing was fast as a viper. He needed all his speed just to avoid each swipe. Cye hadn't fared much better. He now sported a small cut on his forehead from one of the attacks.

What Sage really wanted was a weapon, something to help him block and fight back with. He found he wasn't too keen on getting a hold of his No Datchi either. The sword was also too long, too heavy, and too slow. He needed weapons like hers. Something short and fast that could match her blow for blow. He did have weapons like that. They were in the school.

Would it be wise to attempt to retrieve them? He had the keys. In his pants. He would have to banish the subarmor to get into the school. Why didn't he think about unlocking it just in case before all this started? He was the pragmatic one, why hadn't it occurred to him to grab some weapons from the school's impressive archives in case they needed them?

His internal berating was interrupted when the monster suddenly appeared from the mist. Slowly, she was changing in form, just like the others when the fights became intense. Her face stayed roughly the same, only the jagged cut smile grew bigger, the teeth longer and needle-like. The long black hair remained. Her body; the way it bent, the way it was jointed, was less human. As she swiped at Sage again, he noticed she was no longer holding blades in her hands. The blades _were_ her hands. Her limbs had extended into wide swaths of sharp metal, the shape reminding him somewhat of the front limbs of a praying mantis.

He raised an arm against the attack, the blade clashing against the thick green armor on his forearm. He wished like hell he had some sort of weapon for a counter strike. Cye jumped in to kick her away. The creature effortlessly spun back into the fog and reemerged on Torrent's other side, causing him to knock into Sage as he just barely managed to block the second attack.

Sage was done. It was impossible to go on the offensive. They would never kill this thing without weapons. "Back to the school," he ordered, grabbing Cye's wrist. "Run."

The two booked it for the building. Sage decided to forego the attempt to recover his keys; he didn't dare banish his subarmor for a second. They reached the doors of the school and he elbowed his way through the glass. Gleaming shards cascaded to the ground when it shattered. The beep of the alarm inside instantly went off. He thought he heard Kento's voice call to him from above, but he was in too much of a hurry. He yanked Cye in with him as he quickly disarmed the alarm and the two ran through the building to the back room where he knew the serious weapons were kept.

He could feel her presence trailing behind them as they tore down the halls, but didn't dare look back. As soon as they hit the back room, Cye whirled and slammed the door behind them to buy them some time. Sage headed straight for the wall of ancient and modern weaponry his family had collected for the past few centuries. His mind worked at lightning speed to assess the effectiveness of each weapon his eyes landed on. Something similar to his no datchi would be too cumbersome for the close quarters her smaller, deadly knives demanded. Knives that were now her hands, so there would be no disarming her; unless he intended to cut them off.

His eyes fell on a pair of gleaming tantō. The short blades were perfect. A cold, triumphant smile touched his lips.

"Sage?" Cye called a warning. The _whump! whump!_ of her body slamming into the closed door grew louder in Sage's ears, dulled as he had been preoccupied by choice. Torrent pressed his weight against the door, but despite his efforts, the wood began to splinter and crack along the frame.

 _Whump! Whump!_

The blond warrior lifted the short swords from the wall and gave them a precursory twirl with a turn of his wrists. "Step away from the door and arm yourself," he told Cye. "I've got her." He stood in position and nodded at the other warrior.

Cye took a deep breath, but before he could walk away, the pounding stopped and all went quiet. As if she knew. Torrent then walked away from the door and in the general direction of the wall of weaponry, but kept an eye on Sage and the closed door.

It slowly swung open, its latch broken from the force of the blows. Sage looked deceptively calm. Cye grabbed a bo, but stayed near a cluster of shurikan populating the wall. The bo would protect him and fend her off, but leave her for Sage, as the blond warrior wanted; the shurikan could step in if Sage needed assistance.

Nothing rushed in at them.

A low, rolling fog crept into the room instead. It curled at their feet and covered every inch of the floor until neither man could see an inch of tatami. The fog rose and gathered in a cloudy haze around them, obscuring Sage's vision of the doorway. He felt more than heard Cye draw closer to him until they were in sight of one another.

"Wait," Cye said tersely when Sage moved forward.

"She won't come in," Sage replied quietly. "She knows what's in here."

Cye swallowed a curse when the swordsman moved forward into the fog, out of the weapons room. He exhibited none of the apprehension Cye felt at the turn of events and the presence of the fog. It muted everything, dulled it until it seemed as if no other world existed but the inside of the dojo…which didn't feel very much like the dojo he knew. He swore, as they walked slowly down the fog-choked hall, that the walls had been drained of their color and a chill gripped the air. Cye's grip on the bo was light, to ensure a swift and immediate reaction should anything leap out at them from the fog, but tension screamed between his shoulder blades as they walked into the unknown. He was a mere foot from Sage and fog still wrapped around the other warrior like a thin layer of gauze.

The hallway opened up into the greater dojo area, and here the fog thankfully thinned enough to widen their vantage point to a few meters. They still couldn't see the floor, where it roiled and slithered around like a living thing. The walls were now a distant, hazy oasis.

Sage's jaw clenched so tightly his teeth hurt as he gazed around and waited her return. He could feel her nearby, but not pinpoint an exact location, as if she were the fog itself and everywhere at once. It was so still and quiet that he could hear Cye breathing over the pounding of his own heart.

"Call your armor," Cye suddenly said.

"It would slow me down," Sage countered.

Cye shook his head. "No." They exchanged a glance, and Sage finally understood what Torrent implied. She didn't let them call their armor in the parking lot; it stood to reason he could force her hand and make her show by calling it now. No more dragging this out. Sage gave the bronze-haired warrior an appreciative nod.

He took a deep breath and braced his feet in a readied stance, his body alive with the anticipation of a fight. His voice rang loud and commanding in the thick, oppressive air of the room. "Armor of Halo—"

A sinister, chittering noise sounded off to Sage's right, and he wasted no time. The wildly grinning, mantis-like form emerged from the fog and lunged at him with bladed hands swinging. Sage rose to meet her in a deadly spin, tantō swinging in a quick, graceful arc.

Metal met metal in a harsh, resounding clang.

* * *

Robyn's body refused to stop the fine tremors working through her limbs. She curled her shaking fingers into fists. She should have felt safe, with the three ronins surrounding her, their armored backs protecting her, but she felt exposed, terribly exposed with that horrible metal noise scritching around in her head. That sound haunted her in her nightmares. She wished they could all flee into the dojo with Cye and Sage. But with one monster no doubt already inside, there was currently no place safe to go.

Another tremor ran through her, and Robyn grit her teeth against it. Her unhealed cuts began to throb, making her acutely aware of them. She dreaded the thought of adding more to the collection. She didn't want to see her creature, or even look in its general direction…but this had to end. It had to die. The thought of this nightmare continuing, of leaving with it still out there, made her want to scream.

Robyn rose on her tiptoes and peered over Ryo's shoulder, out into the darkness of the parking lot.

It stood by a lamppost, the fog huddled around it. Just out of reach from the lamp light was a dark, still figure with its head lowered. Arms down. The scissors in its hand gleamed and flashed in the meager light.

Its head rose, as if it sensed her stare.

"Guys," she breathed, terror closing her throat.

 _Snict_.

"We got a game plan?" Kento asked tersely.

"Keep it the hell away from Robyn," Ryo said.

"And then what, my man?"

 _SNICT._

The attack scattered the fog as it raced toward them.

"Shit!" Kento's quick reflexes protected his face. He felt the power of the hit as it almost made him stumble back. When he looked down, he cursed again. The attack actually went into his subarmor. There was a fairly deep gash in the orange metal. With horror, he glanced back at Robyn's frozen, terrified form.

A hit like that would cut her to the bone, even sever her. Kento wasn't the only one to come to that conclusion.

"Go, NOW," Ryo ordered as he stepped forward, giving the other two warriors a dismissive motion. "Get her out of here."

The last thing Robyn saw was Ryo drawing his swords. Wildfire stepped forward to jump off the roof before her gaze was blocked by Strata's size. Rowen quickly scooped her off her feet before he and Kento ran for the back of the building and leaped into the air. Robyn lost her breath at the sudden jerk and the rush of air around them.

Though impossible for any normal human, the two warriors, even weighted down with armor, jumped across the alley to the next building, which was two stories taller. They paused to glance down behind them. The thick fog remained pooled below, nearly covering the entire dojo. Sage and Cye were still inside. They were on their own.

There was no sign of Ryo, either. If he was engaging the monster, they couldn't tell. The fog blocked everything from their view. It seemed to swallow all sound as they listened carefully. Eyes and ears strained for any sign of a battle.

"He's there!" Robyn suddenly barked.

The two warriors glanced around and the creature was suddenly standing on the rooftop with them in what seemed the blink of an eye. Rowen felt ice race up his spine at the dark figure and that grin under his wide-brimmed hat. With Robyn still in his arms, he turned and fled, leaping for the next building.

 _I'm the only one with a weapon_ , he thought to himself as his mind scrambled for a strategy. He couldn't fight back if his arms were preoccupied.

SNICT.

He heard the sound of the blades coming for him. "Kento! Heads up!"

Robyn caught onto his plan only seconds before she was suddenly air-born. The attack sliced harmlessly between the two of them before Kento caught her in mid air. Though her hair had been messed, Robyn had only let out a single squeak at the treatment. Kento was quite proud of her. Even as she clutched him tight so he wouldn't get the same idea.

Strata had slowed Rowen's descent. He was somewhat floating in mid air as he retrieved his golden bow. "Kento, keep going. I'll—"

Kento didn't hear the rest of it. Another slice came right after the first. It caught him in the legs and sent them both on a collision with the side of an apartment building. Kento managed to tuck Robyn into him so he took the brunt as his shoulder went into the brick. They slid down the side until he managed to catch a window ledge with his free hand.

Another _snict_ echoed in their ears and Kento let go. The ledge he was holding shattered as he dropped the four stories to the ground below. He landed awkwardly, feeling the metal of one foot give out. A quick glance down and he found the mechanism that allowed his ankle mobility was all mangled. He could run, but it was going to be an uneven gate until he let the armor sleep and heal itself. Great.

Robyn's hiss then drew his attention. She held her palm to her thigh as fresh blood began to seep through her jeans. "Tore my stitches," she said in a soft, strained voice. A patch on her temple was also seeping a bit of blood where the skin had been scraped. Now, Kento agreed with Ryo. It had been a bad idea to bring Robyn here.

The monster materialized down the alley a few yards away. Kento froze. There was no losing this guy. Rowen's fully-armored form dropped down between the monster and his friends, arrow drawn.

"Go!" he barked. "Hide! Get her out of here!"

Kento didn't need to be told twice. He turned, sweeping up the redhead as he ran.

* * *

Cye's grip on the bo grew tight as he watched the grotesque creature lunge at Sage again and again, its bladed limbs spinning and thrusting. Yet Sage didn't miss a beat. A chilled fury had filled Halo's pale eyes, but his movements were still tightly controlled and graceful. He only misjudged the creature's reach and speed once, the grinning entity slicing a huge, shining blade near Sage's exposed neck. The blond angled away and blocked at the last second, and recovered quickly to parry back and meet his enemy blow by blow.

The skill, power, and finesse behind every swing and twirl from Sage's capable hands were feats that, Cye knew instinctively, could not be matched by most human beings. Lifelong training, a deep and abiding passion, and an intrinsic connection to a mystical, ancient armor, gave Sage an edge that was more than a match for this pathetic creature. Torrent was filled with fierce pride for his comrade.

The creature screeched in frustration when its slashes and thrusts were blocked by Sage's short swords, and his flurry of counterattacks put it on the defense. It didn't know how to handle that, and in its fury, began to make the irrational decisions of a desperate opponent that knew they were going to lose. It lowered its upper body and attempted to rush at Sage's middle to knock him off his feet. Cye was ready to leap in and assist because it looked like she wanted to gut him through with those blades for arms. Halo dodged sideways to get out of the way, and sliced a deep gouge in the creature's side as it stumbled past him. Black blood splattered the mats of the dojo floor and hissed upon contact.

Sage had every intention of taking advantage of its lack of balance and going for its lower extremities or back, but the thing moved faster than he could, whirling the deadly blades with a speed that Sage almost didn't match in time. He raised his swords and blocked the bladed arms, grunting at the force with which it pushed against him. It grinned widely as it pushed its weight until Sage felt like his footing was in jeopardy. As it drew closer, a chittering, insect-like sound filled his ears. It pushed its face in between the bladed arms boring down on his swords. A tongue slid out from behind those rows of teeth, and slithered out to flick against his cheek.

That was _enough_.

Sage growled as disgust filled his stomach like bile, and risked his stability with a low kick against the creature's spindly legs. The thing flailed and squawked, but quickly righted itself again. Then, it jerked and screamed as a second set of bladed limbs burst from its body. Sage was too in shock from the sudden change, and the flailing of now four limbs managed to land another cut to his face.

Sage jerked back and the creature screamed again. The hairs on the back of his neck rose at the half-woman, half-creature-like sound. All four limbs came at him in a flurry and Sage struggled to keep up with the whirlwind of attacks. He stumbled back as the taller monster advanced on him.

As one bladed appendage raced down for his neck, the sound of metal cracking against wood echoed in the dojo. Cye blocked the shot, the monster's blade landing deep in the wooden bo. One jerk, and the weapon snapped in half. That hardly slowed Torrent down. With a broken piece of wood in each hand, he glanced at Sage. Wordlessly, the two warriors attacked as one.

The monster had been taken by surprise at Cye's sudden appearance into the fight, as if it had forgotten that anyone else existed except its prey. Together, the two put it back on the defense. Cye blocked all attacks and Sage went in with intent to kill. One of the smaller appendages struck at Halo with a blade, and Sage smoothly swung his sword to meet it—and cut it off.

" _Reeeeee!_ " The mantis-like thing stumbled back, and Sage delivered a roundhouse kick to knock it to the ground. As it fell, he leapt in between the flailing blades, dodging another swipe, and crossed his wrists. With a loud battle cry, Halo swept his arms down in an arc that pulled the blades out and away from one another.

But not before slicing into the creature's neck and severing its head.

The bladed limbs fell to the ground with muted clangs as the head, and its long dark hair, rolled to the side. The terrible grin rolled toward him, blank eyes staring up at Halo.

"Do you... think I'm pretty..." it hissed. Then, the body melted into black smoke and disappeared.

Sage stood there, staring at the place where the head had been, arms trembling. After a moment, his tantō clattered to the ground.

Cye drew to his side and clapped him on the shoulder. The fog around them had dissipated drastically, clearing in the air until they could see the dojo walls. What had felt like a colorless, drab, static world during the battle now resembled their own world again, with the sense of life beyond the dojo's doors.

Or was there?

Cye felt for the presence of the others, and realized with a start that Hardrock, Wildfire, and Strata's presence were not there—not anywhere close, at any rate. Sage turned to him with a frown, the same disturbing realization dawning.

"Where are they?" Cye wondered.

* * *

Mia was outwardly calm and collected as she sat cross-legged on the floor, her auburn hair thrown up in a bun, her hands steady as she shuffled through the RSVP returns and read off the names and number of guests. Regan's own hand was steady as she checked off the attending guests, but her stomach began to hurt as the minutes dragged by. It had been almost two hours. She resisted the urge to check her phone every five minutes, since she turned it off silent, but the urge was strong. She had heard nothing from Rowen or Robyn since Rowen sent her a text when they arrived at the dojo.

"The Hiroshis. Oh, that's nice, I'm glad they could make it."

Regan found their names on the list and checked them off. Her eyes strayed to the phone lying face up on the floor.

"Thanks for doing this, Rae."

"Hmm? Oh, of course. Planning a wedding is a nightmare by itself."

"It's like a full time job," Mia agreed. "Now go ahead and check your phone."

Regan gave her a crooked grin and sheepishly reached for her phone and unlocked it. Her heart sunk when it inevitably showed no missed calls or texts.

"No news doesn't mean bad news," Mia reminded her. "But I know it's tough. Even when I was more directly involved in the past, I was still on the sidelines for the major fights. We just have to trust in their capabilities."

"I do. And I know they'll keep Robyn safe." But she also knew how very wrong things could go, how unexpected setbacks or challenges could present themselves.

She shouldn't bother them.

But what if they needed help? What if someone was really hurt? And it's not like the guys would have their phones on them if they changed into their armor.

Robyn had her phone on her.

Regan worried her lower lip as she stared at her phone, wishing for a text or a call to come through. A text wouldn't hurt. And then if she didn't get a response in…fifteen minutes or so, a phone call. She unlocked her phone and pulled up Robyn's thread.

 _Is everything okay?_

 _Please tell me Sage's Joker face lady is dead_.

 _We ordered cookies, I saved you some. *waves chocolate chip cookie enticingly*_

There, Regan thought to herself, satisfied. Robyn wouldn't be able to resist responding to that.

* * *

Robyn always had pretty good eyesight in the dark. As such, she could see quite well how this had been a poor choice of venues to take shelter. Mostly because it was creepy as hell.

When Kento had grabbed her and fled, he blindly ducked into an old warehouse which, luck would have it, had been previously used as a meat-packing plant. Though the building was long since out of use and currently scheduled to be refurbished into something else, the place still smelled like organic decay. Spots of rust or blood grew in the cracks and corners of various devices and conveyor belts. Hooks hung on heavy chains above their heads. One eerily began to sway slightly as if disturbed by phantom fingers.

This seemed like a place where one went to get slaughtered, not where one could find shelter from danger. Kento had to agree. He felt like every future victim in every horror movie when he saw what horrible place he had led them both into.

There was no going back now. _It_ was in there with them, hunting them, skulking around the exit. Even Kento, with his warrior instincts on high, knew it was there. Its black shadow stalked up and down the walkways. And with no idea as to where the other warriors were, Kento didn't dare engage the thing. One mistake—just one hit and Robyn would be dead. He couldn't risk it.

As the creature methodically searched the building for them, the two did their best to skirt around its gaze and remain hidden. There was a large, broken window, high up on the wall. Outside, a neighboring company had a big neon sign that flashed pinks and oranges into the darkness. The creature slipped silently across the swath of light, illuminating his silhouette. From a side view, it looked as though it carried a shell of some kind on its back. Or maybe it was just the shadow it cast; far different in form than the man-thing with the disturbing grin under a brimmed hat. The look of the shadow was something more bug-like, with great pincers on top, reminiscent of a stag beetle.

Whatever it was, neither Kento nor Robyn wished to be found as they slowly inched their way back toward the exit while the creature searched deeper into the building for them. As Robyn stepped forward into the darkness, her face encountered an invisible spider web. She immediately balked and stumbled back, flailing her hands and blowing air to get the offensive stuff off her face.

Kento's hand went over her mouth and she was pulled back into an armored chest as the two pressed against the wall. Even that was enough to cause the creature to stop and jerk its head around. They both held their breath as the monster listened. The place was as still and silent as death.

 _Ping._

The muffled sound that came from Robyn's pocket might as well have been as loud as a scream. Her heart raced. Kento's grip on her tightened.

 _Ping._

Her didn't she turn off her damn phone!

 _Ping._

The dark silhouette rushed them. Robyn felt Kento's arms wrap around her before he jerked them forward in a powerful leap. Shoulder first, he crashed through a pile of crates and machinery as the devastating blow from the monster's shears destroyed everything else a second later.

The two tumbled to the ground, smeared in dirt, before scrambling to their feet. Kento's hand was firm on Robyn's wrist as he dragged her forward. Another narrowly missed attack exploded more wood crates at their heels. They ducked behind a large machine, but it was too late. The monster knew where they were. It came for them without hesitation.

In a blink, it was in front of them again with a clear shot. As it raised its shears, the dusty window exploded above it and Rowen rained in with the broken glass. He came down with a swipe of his bow at the monster and the thing immediately disappeared again. The next _snict_ came out of nowhere and collided with Rowen's back, sending him stumbling forward. The one after sent some sort of apparatus, which had previously been suspended on the ceiling, to come crashing down on him.

Robyn screamed his name, the wrong thing to do, as Kento was trying to get her out of the building while the creature was distracted. The form turned toward them, its grin maddening and wide.

SNICT.

Kento had no choice but to turn and take the brunt of the attack. He pushed Robyn out of the way before crossing his arms in front of him. The attack hit him in the side at an angle, sending him stumbling back. The damaged armor joint at his ankle buckled and Kento fell backward on the ground.

Even as he lost his balance, he knew this was a deadly mistake. He wouldn't be able to get back to his feet in time.

"Robyn! Run!"

The redhead locked eyes with his; wide and wild.

"RUN!"

She turned and fled blindly back into the dark depths of the building. Every maze-like turn that appeared ahead of her she took. All she thought about was getting distance, wherever that took her. Unfortunately, that took her right into a solid brick wall.

Her palms slapped upon the rough surface before she immediately turned to find another route. But it was already there. That hunched, dark form stood before her, its grin eerily white in the dark. She could see the shape of the blades in his hand.

Heart racing, Robyn wondered if she could dodge the attack. She didn't know how large the damage zone was, but maybe if she was fast enough, she could jump out of the way and rush the thing. It was either that or death. She had to do this or one hit would kill her. She tensed as it watched her, grinning wider. Her heightened hearing heard the sound of metal scraping metal as the shears opened.

A sharp blade pierced the monster from behind, the tip of the sword running all the way through and out its chest. Only then did that maddening grin disappear. Robyn's eyes met the creature's, both their gazes wide and surprised. Then, the monster burst into flames, the fire throwing light on their eerie surroundings. The body disintegrated to ash like old parchment paper. Metal shears clattered to the floor before dissolving into black mist.

When the fire died down, Robyn could still see the silhouette of Wildfire in the meager city lights that filtered through dirty windows. Ryo calmly sheathed the sword on his back before approaching her. He was almost there, reaching out to her, when her legs gave out and she collapsed to her knees. One hand was pressed to her racing heart while the other clutched her thigh, still leaking blood.

Even as the panic hit, Robyn was already taking deep breaths to try to calm herself. Ryo knelt next to her, a hand on her shoulder. Robyn wished he wouldn't. She didn't want to be touched by hard metal. She wanted to feel a real person.

More heavy footsteps approached: Kento and a very dirty Rowen of Strata. Everyone could hear the grinding of the broken metal on Kento's subarmor. He eventually gave up and banished it for his street clothes.

"I'm sorry, Rob. I didn't mean for you to have to run off by yourself. I never wanted that to happen."

Robyn merely stood, removing herself from Wildfire's touch. She limped over to Kento and fell against him, wrapping her arms around the barrel of his chest. He blinked in surprise for a moment and then gathered her to him.

"It's okay, it's over now," he murmured as he rubbed her back.

Robyn let him hold her. Though he was firm, he was far more soft and inviting than those hard, unforgiving armors that had battered her around all night.

She let out one more long shaky breath before Rowen said, "Alright. Let's catch up with Sage and Cye and then go home."

* * *

Rowen realized he _didn't_ want to go home the moment his girlfriend saw them.

Robyn stayed upright largely due to Kento's arm wrapped around her waist, holding her up. They had taken some extra time at the dojo for Sage to heal what he could of the reopened cut on Robyn's thigh before heading home. It didn't change the fact that she bore the physical brunt of the cat and mouse game they played with her monster: dirty, bruised, hair a complete mess. When Regan's horrified eyes drifted to Rowen, he cringed.

"Her monster is dead," he said helpfully.

Wordlessly, the dark-haired girl rushed over to Robyn from where she'd stood, frozen in the living room as they tumbled in. "Oh, sweetheart," she breathed, her sharp eyes noting how Robyn's hands still trembled as she relinquished her tight hold on Kento and clasped on to Regan's hands. Blood soaked her jean-clad thigh. Blood! She sent off a clean, optimistic redhead to go help these fool heroes, and they brought back a limping, injured, shaken, bedraggled girl who looked like she planned to audition for the role of a filthy street urchin in Les Mis.

"You had one job," she said incredulously, when her words came back. Anger snapped into her pale green eyes, and she glared at every one of them. "What did I say when you walked out the door? _Not. One. Hair_ ," she reminded them, her voice rising. She gingerly placed a hand on Robyn's back, and the redhead let herself be held closer, grateful for more human contact.

"We lost control of the situation," Ryo admitted, feeling a fresh slap of guilt.

"There are five you! And she doesn't have armor! Did you toss her around like a Frisbee, maybe throw her in a mud pit?"

"It was a meat packing factory," Kento mumbled.

Regan's eyes widened. For a split second the room seemed to shiver, like the precursor to an earthquake. All five froze, because they didn't just sense it in the air—they felt it, one angry pulse of pressure, and then it disappeared. Robyn whispered something to her, and then Regan closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Alright, let's get you cleaned up," she said in a softer, more soothing tone. Mia left Cye's side to help Robyn along to the bathroom, and Rae let her go ahead before turning back to the five, her eyes narrowing.

"You're all fired," she informed them with a wave of her finger. "I don't want to see any of your faces when we come out of that bathroom. Go home, think about what you've done." She turned around to march out of the living room, then stopped and whirled around again. "I appreciate that you killed it, and I recognize that you all look filthy and exhausted yourselves and it probably sucked all around, and I feel a little bit bad for yelling at you, but not bad enough, ho no—you done _messed up_. Next time, for the love of God, try not to _break_ my best friend."

Rowen opened his mouth to speak.

Regan pointed at him. "No. Go home, Hashiba. You too, Roy. I'll look after her." Regan glared at them for a moment longer, arms crossed, and then turned with a flick of her hair and marched off down the hall to the bathroom, where water was running. They heard her mutter, "Good hands my ass."

The ronins were quiet. "We did kill it," Rowen said.

"I killed it," Ryo corrected. Then he frowned. "She called me Roy again."

Sage snorted.

"For good measure, I blame all three of you, too," Cye commented. "I mean, bloody hell."

"Hey, it's dead," Kento defended.

" _Go! Home!_ " shouted an irate brunette from the bathroom.


	17. Chapter 16

**Urban Legend**

 **Chapter 16**

Birds sang and chirped to each other outside of open windows that let in a refreshing, late summer breeze. The air carried in the faintest hint of oncoming autumn—the promise of cooler evenings and leaves gradually turning. For now, summer hung in the air.

Mia listened to it, and thought it was a perfect day for a wedding.

She stretched luxuriously, then looked around the big bedroom that would soon become her and her husband's bedroom (the thought made her smile). Of course, he had already been here and shared this bed with her for a while now, but turning fiancé into husband was another matter altogether.

To her mild surprise, the room was empty and missing four other girls. Robyn and Regan, plus two of her female cousins from France, had kept her company the night before, and helped prepare the house for the wedding.. It was so nice, and different, to have a house full of women after spending so many years with mainly the company of her five boys. She didn't once think of the worries that plagued her for the past few months, and all but forgot that it wasn't quite over yet.

But she wouldn't think about that today. Today, she was going to marry Cye, and it would be the wedding she'd always dreamed of, and everyone would be safe and have a great time.

Mia's phone rang and she stretched for the bedside dresser to pick it up. Her heart warmed at the caller. "Good morning, Mr. Mouri."

"Good morning, Love," Cye said. His smooth, masculine, accented voice made her toes curl. "How did you sleep?"

"As well as I can when you're not here with me," Mia purred.

"Aww. That was so delightfully cheesy."

She laughed. "See what you've done to me?"

"I'll gladly take credit for that."

"I can't wait until you come back," Mia whispered. God, she felt like a teenager again. "Two, right?"

"Two. I'm counting down the minutes until I can see your beautiful face," he said sweetly. "I can't wait to marry you."

They talked quietly for another minute, and then Mia hung up, her heart full to bursting. She finally left the bed and immediately spotted the gift her cousins left behind, hanging from a knob on the closet door—a white silk robe with lace detail on the sleeves, all the way from a Parisian boutique. She wasn't to wear anything else until she put on her gown because of hair and makeup, they said. Mia slipped it on, and the cool silk against her skin made her feel lighter than air. She tied the sash and wandered out of the room.

Feminine voices reached her from downstairs, and she smiled at the sight of white streamers and delicate lights strewn along the balcony and staircase railings. The front door opened as she walked by. Robyn and Regan came in, carrying bags.

"Morning, beautiful!" Regan called cheerfully.

Robyn lifted a bag. "Breakfast! We're in the den. Your cousin said the makeup and hair ladies will be here in an hour."

The den, or smaller living room that Mia mainly used as a reading or studying room, became the wedding preparation room. The girls laid out fruit, sweet pastries, and brought in fresh coffee and tea from the kitchen. Mia's wedding dress hung from a hook on the backside of the door, stored away in its bag, and she resisted the urge to peek at it. As the girls ate and talked, Mia's mother and aunts arrived in a flurry of activity and excitement.

The Koji-Mouri wedding was in full swing.

* * *

"Darling, where are you shoes?"

"By the front door, Mum," Cye called from the living room. "Don't worry about me, you have to get there well before I do!"

"Oh, I know," Mrs. Mouri fretted, flitting into the living room, and then back out in a flurry of bare feet and the swish of an elegant, grey dress with a pale pink belt. "Your grandmother's going to be here any minute, and I look a fright. Sayoko, where's Keiko, is she ready?"

"I've got her, Okaasan." Kento entered the room with a little girl, no more than four, on his hip. Cye's niece wore a dress with a pale blue bodice and matching flowers at the waist, which flared out into an ivory tulle skirt draped over Kento's arm. Sweet little round-toed ivory flats adorned the feet she idly swung, content to remain in the crook of Kento's strong arm and hum a tune to herself. Her dark eyes lit up when she saw Cye.

"Keiko, what a lovely dress," Cye crooned, making the little girl giggle and shyly pat the tulle material in agreement.

Cye's older sister came in, her hair thrown up in a ponytail, ready for the hair stylists later; Keiko's own hair was loose and only pushed back with a decorative headband. "I'll take her, Kento, thank you. Mum, five minutes!"

"Love, I'm trying! Have you seen _my_ shoes?"

Torrent chuckled while Keiko whined at being separated from Kento and Sayoko shushed her as they left—and nearly barreled into Rowen and Sage.

"When did you both get so _tall?_ " Sayoko asked. "Have you always been this tall?"

"I've always been this tall," Rowen told her.

"No, he hasn't," Sage countered. "It's nice to see you, Sayoko."

Cye's sister blushed, returned the sentiment, and hurried away with Keiko waving goodbye to the ronins.

"Nice to see you can still make the ladies blush," Rowen smirked. Sage sighed. The blue-haired ronin took a look around. "Where's our fearless leader?"

"Fearfully hiding in the bathroom, hanging on to every precious last minute before he has to put on his tux," Cye laughed.

"That is not entirely true," Ryo said as he entered, although a frown touched his face as he tugged on the navy blue suit and the white collar of the dress shirt underneath. Mia insisted on navy blue because she said it brought out all their lovely eye colors so well. Ryo didn't care what color it was—he was already counting down the hours until he could take it off. It wasn't itchy, it was just…constraining. Of course Sage and Cye looked comfortable and right at home in theirs. They even had their grey and cream-colored bowties on already.

Oh shit.

"Ryo, where is your bowtie?" Cye asked, looking back from where he still stood by the mirror.

Wildfire blanched. "Um."

"Dude, you forgot it at home, didn't you?" Kento asked as Rowen laughed and Sage pinched the bridge of his nose. Cye looked up at the ceiling and prayed for patience. Ryo apologized, and Kento broke down and laughed as he clapped their leader on the shoulder. "Let's go get it, you're not getting out of this that easy."

"Wait before you go, for heaven's sake." Cye shook his head at Ryo, who gave him a sheepish look, but a smile stole across Torrent's face to show he wasn't irritated. The ronin disappeared for a moment, and then came back with four packages in his arms.

"What's this, Mouri?" Kento asked as he was handed a gift the size of a shirt box.

"Gifts," Cye stated as he finished passing them out to the team. He nearly ran his fingers through his hair, then remembered not to at the last minute. "As much as you all drive me batty and I couldn't rid myself of you if I tried…I wouldn't have it any other way. And I wanted to thank you all for being a part of this with me." He looked down at the floor, not wanting to get too sentimental, but feeling as if he had to get it out now, or it would never come, or come out at an inappropriate time. "You all mean a lot to me, and it's not much, but…it's just something to express my gratitude. You've always been family for me, and for Mia, and I never want that to change."

The guys were quiet as they opened their gifts, until Kento saw the red and white striped rugby home jersey of his favorite Japanese rugby team. "Yes!" he exclaimed. "Fuck yeah!"

"Kento!" Mrs. Mouri shouted from the kitchen. "Little ears!"

"Sorry!" Kento embraced Cye in a bear hug, lifting the leaner man off his feet. Ryo's eyes widened when he pulled out a Real Madrid football jersey, one of his favorite soccer teams, emblazoned with the purple and white away colors.

"Cye, this is…thank you."

"Mia helped with that one," Cye told him. "She wanted you to have one from the official store in Madrid, so the last time her aunt was in Spain, she made a stop and picked it up."

Sage ran his fingers over the smooth, finely crafted leather wallet, with his initials discreetly etched into one corner. "Yoshida?" he asked, pleasantly surprised. He didn't know Cye even paid attention to the brands Sage preferred, especially brands that made their products locally.

"I know you like to think you're an enigma to everyone, but I've also known you for over a decade," Cye quipped. Sage smiled and thanked him.

"This. Is. Incredible." Rowen lifted the silver pocket watch up, letting the light flash across its surface and links. "It's the Sherlock pocket watch! I literally just talked about this a few weeks ago."

"I know, Rae told me. I enlisted a little help with you."

Rowen grinned crookedly at Cye, then gave him an obnoxiously suffocating hug that Cye tolerated.

"Buddy, you outdid yourself. Thank you, my man." Kento went to ruffle Cye's hair, and the other four collectively shouted, "No!" Hardrock held up his hands, then settled for patting Cye's cheek. "We got something for you, too, it's just not here—it's at Mia's. Shit, your place. Damn, you're really getting married today, aren't you? To _Mia_. How do you feel?"

"Nervous?" Ryo asked.

Cye shook his head and smiled. "I've never been more confident about anything in my life."

* * *

The room bustled with life, filled to the brim with feminine voices, swirls of satin, lace, and taffeta, musical laughter, and a lot of hairspray. Little Keiko sat in the big chair while the hairdresser curled and pinned her hair, half of the bridesmaids already finished, and Mia watching contentedly in her robe, sipping on a mimosa and eating fruit. More food, champagne, and orange juice littered the coffee table for anyone to help themselves. The photographer—an old college friend of Mia's who'd moved to Tokyo to start her blossoming photography business—wandered the room to snap candid photos of the guests, the bridesmaids, and the brides.

Robyn and Regan largely stayed in the periphery and stayed close to Cye's mother and sister, pleased to just watch the day unfold for Mia. Robyn was a little uncomfortable with such a large group of women she didn't know, even with Mrs. Mouri and Rae there. She kind of wished they could slip away and she could go see Cye, check on him and see how he was doing and talk to him before the marriage ceremony and greeting all of the guests took up his time.

In the meantime, the girls busied themselves by helping with the last bunch of hikidemono, tying off the small wedding gift bags with brightly colored cords and sealing up the French and Japanese sweets and a few other small gifts for the guests.

"Robyn?" the hair stylist called. "Keiko's finished, are you ready?"

"Yes," Robyn replied, relieved. She had already put on her bridesmaid dress, thankful that Mia had chosen longer dresses with sleeves. She felt pretty and comfortable in it, with its v-neck and back, chiffon skirt, and pale blue color. Robyn sank into the chair and let the hair stylist curl and twist her hair up into a braided chignon.

"Would you like me to do makeup, too?" The woman asked.

"Oh, thank you, but no, I have help for that," Robyn answered. She didn't want to come right out and say she wasn't keen on strangers touching her face and putting on way too much makeup. Regan knew exactly what Robyn liked, and promised to do it later.

The woman in question suddenly appeared, looking much more relaxed than Robyn felt in this setting. And was holding her phone.

"No," Robyn warned.

"But you look so pretty! I just want to send a picture to Jude."

"Take it when she's done."

"Too late."

Robyn sighed, and Regan grinned and then ate another strawberry. The brunette hadn't done her hair yet. "Shouldn't you get ready?" Robyn shot back.

"Probably."

The redhead jumped a little with surprise when Mrs. Mouri laid her hands on her shoulders from behind. "You look so lovely," the woman murmured as the hair stylist finished. "Look at what a beautiful young woman you've become."

Robyn positively glowed under the praise of the only real, kind, and generous mother figure she'd ever had. "Thanks, Mom," she whispered, smiling when Cye's mother squeezed her shoulders, kissed her temple, and then got drawn into a conversation with Mia's mother.

Regan leaned against the chair and lightly touched the braid in Robyn's hair. "She's right; you look fabulous. Let's go do your makeup, and then I'll fix my hair." She lowered her voice and added, "We can watch for the guys that way, too."

"Yes, please," Robyn agreed. They left the small crowd of women and snuck upstairs, where Regan retrieved her own makeup bag and other supplies. They used one of the bedrooms facing the drive, opting for natural light instead of the harsh fluorescents of a bathroom. Regan pulled two chairs over by the windows and had Robyn sit while she laid out the makeup on the other chair. Robyn enjoyed the quiet after the hours of movement and noise and busyness. Her friend's light touches to gently smooth some foundation or apply a touch of neutral eye shadow were nice and relaxing.

"It must feel a little strange to see your childhood best friend get married," Regan commented as she neatly applied Robyn's eyeliner.

"It is," Robyn confessed. "It feels like…I guess it's close to what his mom might be feeling, but that doesn't feel right, either. He's starting his own little family now, and…"

"You're worried there's less room for you in this one."

"I know he loves me. And of course he loves Mia and that's fine, I'm happy for them. I don't know. It's stupid."

"No, it's not. He means the world to you. It's hard to share that with someone else, especially when it's a spouse. You don't have to feel bad for feeling that way. You can still be happy for them. I don't know Cye very well, but I do know he loves you so much. You just have to make time for each other. Hopefully he won't get in the habit of texting you during a life or death situation and nearly killing you, though, like some people you know."

Robyn laughed. "He's better at the hero thing than that."

Regan grinned. "Good. I really do feel like a total ass for that."

"You _did_ almost get me and Kento killed. No more texting when something's going down."

Both girls sobered a bit at the reminder that it wasn't entirely over. A week had passed since the guys took out Robyn and Sage's monsters, and no sign of Ryo's anywhere. It was a welcome change, because the flurry of activity for Mia and Cye's wedding began not soon after, as well as the arrival of her relatives, but the delay set them all on edge. Robyn's cuts healed remarkably fast after the death of her monster, and she was finally whole and unmarked, the glow of health back in her skin. Regan surveyed Robyn's now somber face. The light makeup, discreet eye shadow, and touch of blush and eyeliner gave her a fresh, healthy glow, the hint of pink lip stain lending her face a fairy tale charm.

"You look like a princess," Regan said sincerely, then brushed a light kiss on her cheek. Right at that moment, they heard car doors open and shut outside. She put a handheld mirror in Robyn's hand, and then added, "I'm going to finish my hair up here, but you don't have to stay. Go see the boys."

Robyn looked at her reflection for a long moment, until she heard the ronins' voices downstairs. After giving herself a small smile, she set the mirror down and gave Regan a quick hug before leaving the room.

* * *

Robyn lurked at the top of the stairs as the guys came into the house, all in their tuxes and looking sharp. But she didn't reveal herself to them right away, seeing what they would do. As luck would have it, Cye loitered by the door while the rest of them went further into the house. No doubt to find out where Mia was so the groom didn't see the bride before the wedding.

She waited until the others had gone before hurrying down the stairs. Cye's eyes brightened a bit when he noticed her. Before he could make any comment, she quickly said, "Wow, look at you. Just when I was starting to get used to that long hair of yours."

"I was used to it, too," he lamented, lightly touching his hair.

"At least you can always grow it back."

He smiled in response and they fell silent together.

Robyn shifted as she tried to think of something to say. This was her last day with Cye. Even though she was staying a few days more in Japan, Cye would be gone after this evening: off on his honeymoon to France. Who knew when she would ever see him again. This was probably the only moment she would get alone with him and it was only a matter of time, maybe seconds, until people realized he was in the house and he would be swarmed by family and friends.

And her panicked brain couldn't put into words all the things she wanted to say to him.

There was the heavy sound of bodies moving somewhere deep in the house, accompanied by several laughing feminine voices.

"Come on," Cye said, and briskly walked off.

Robyn blindly followed him as he retreated into the closest bedroom and shut the door. The room held evidence that someone had used it the night before, but Cye ignored the clutter as he walked over to the window.

"I just wanted a moment of quiet before it all gets crazy again," he said, looking out the window at the small collection of cars parked outside. It would soon grow exponentially.

"Oh, do you want me to go?" Robyn asked.

"No. You're fine if you want to stay."

Robyn sat stiffly on the side of the unmade bed. Her mind raced anew as she tried to find the words.

"It still feels surreal, even now," she said in a shaky voice. "I can't believe you're getting married."

He chuckled and finally looked away from the window. "I can't believe it, either. It did sort of feel like it was never going to come and now we're all here."

"I hope everything turns out exactly how you want," Robyn felt the words suddenly falling out of her mouth, beyond her control. "I hope you and Mia take such good care of each other and that you'll be so happy. And I am just so happy for you both."

Cye's expression turned to one of melancholy and Robyn glanced away to look down at her hands. She felt him move to hover over her.

"That sounded like a good-bye," he accused gently.

She continued to look down as her fingers fiddled with the material of her skirt. "I'm not going to see you after today. I thought I'd get it in while I can."

He bent forward, taking her wrists and urging her to stand with him. He waited patiently for her to look him in the face.

"I hope you have happiness, too."

Emotion filled her chest and she quickly snorted it out. "What are you talking about? I _am_ happy! I love my life, I love my friends. I really love my job. I wish I could take it back to the states with me."

"Or, you could stay and work here," Cye prodded.

Robyn paused for a moment, as if she never considered the option. "Either way, I will probably see you the same amount now that you're married," she smirked.

She had meant it as a bit of a joke, but Cye looked at her seriously.

"Never," he spoke softly. "I'm never not going to be in your life, Robyn, no matter what happens. You're important to me." Though she didn't mean to, she breathed in a shaky breath at those words. "If you ever need me, I'll be there. Always." Very lightly, he cupped her face and kissed her forehead. "I want you to be so, so happy."

Robyn nearly broke right there. Though she tried to fight it, she hoped Regan wouldn't mind fixing her makeup again.

* * *

Regan was halfway through curling waves into her hair when her phone started vibrating. She almost put the call on speaker phone, and then saw who it was. Her heart sunk.

"Hi, Brendan," she greeted her boss.

"Hey, kid. So I hear your stint in Japan has gone smashingly. Nothing but positive stuff from Mr. Arakida. I'd say I'm surprised and pleased to hear you're representing us well at the Toyama office, but I didn't have a doubt. Sorry to hear you had some seizure trouble, though."

"It happens. And thank you. I'm happy to hear that kind of feedback from Arakida, I've really enjoyed working for him."

"You're gonna like this even better. I nabbed a contract you've all been clamoring at me for ages to get." He waited a beat, then said, "Bucharest. Which is by," another pause, and then with theatric flair, "Transylvania! Our client is funding reparations to a few historical sites, and also wants to establish some newer, economically efficient housing that's not, you know, left over from the Communist era. There'll be downtime to check out Dracula's digs and that weird little town you've all talked about, what was it?"

"Sighişoara." That "weird little town" was a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a time warp to medieval Romania with intact cobblestone streets, candy-colored houses, beautiful old churches, and a gorgeous 14th century clock tower. Just one of the dozens of small towns hiding architectural gems that they fawned over at the office. Regan had been dying to see it since she was an engineering student.

"That one. You're back in, what, five days? Take a few to adjust to life back in the states, and then we'll all meet to talk about the project."

"How long is it?"

"Three months. Won that bid by the skin of our teeth. Excited? …I don't hear it in your voice, Sundari, where's the enthusiasm?"

"I…that's great," she said, and meant it. "I just wasn't expecting it. But Bucharest could use a little love, definitely. Listen, I'll call you when I'm flying out, and we'll…maybe I'll come in early, just to meet with everyone and you can all fill me in."

"Works for me, kid. We're glad to have you back in a week."

"Thanks, boss man." Regan hung up. Sat the phone in her lap. Stared at it.

She didn't want to go.

Correction: she wanted to go. She wanted to take that job, and see Bucharest, and see that amazing medieval town and its old architecture and rainbow houses. But she didn't want to do it now. She wanted to see it with Rowen. Exploring Transylvania with Rowen would be an unforgettable experience, and she wanted to share it with him. She loved to watch his face when he got excited about something new, and to hear the brilliant, witty comments that would fall out of his mouth. He'd be up for any adventure she wanted to embark on, and before they'd get to any new destination in Romania, he'd already have a dozen different stories to tell her about it because he looked it all up the night before. Sighişoara without Rowen was pointless. It _hurt_.

A text lit up her phone. From her twin: _Five days! I miss your face, dolly! This is too long, I don't like this. Let's get tacos when you get back, I'll bet you haven't had a decent taco in like six months._

Regan's heart broke. She missed her brother, so much, and she was excited to see him again. The last five minutes were a rude awakening that she had a life to get back to, and a work visa that was expiring…and a boyfriend in Toyama she was in love with. A man she connected with on a deeper level than she had ever connected with anyone in her life, with the sole exception of her twin.

And then that one line of thought rushed back at her in a stunning revelation. _You're in love with him. Oh god, you fell_ _in love with Rowen and now you're leaving him. What now?_ Regan dropped her head in her hands and resisted the urge to cry. She'd never been in love before, and right now, it was terrifying. She didn't want to leave him, but she had to. She could come back, but that would mean leaving her job, her twin, her life, but the thought of leaving Rowen? Her mind shied away from that devastation. There was no good scenario here. They hadn't even talked about this, and they were running out of time and she acutely regretted not starting this conversation weeks ago. But so much happened, so fast—murderous evil creatures took precedence over serious relationship conversations.

Voices from the first floor reached her, and Regan remembered where she was and why. After a few deep, cleansing breaths, she ignored the ache in her heart and finished getting ready. She even managed a brilliant smile when Rowen showed up behind her in the mirror, hands in the pockets of his dress slacks.

"Professor Hashiba," she greeted, eyeing the navy blue groomsmen suit that made his gorgeous blue eyes stand out. He looked—and smelled—good enough to eat. "Look at my man, all tuxed up." She made an appreciative cat-like growl as she finished applying her eyeliner, and then a flash of silver caught her eye. "Oh my god, is that the pocket watch? Right on, Cye!"

"I heard you had something to do with that," he said.

"With as much Holmes as you read and watch, you deserve a pocket watch." Regan finished applying her makeup, smoothing a little blush on her cheeks.

"Is it my turn next?"

"If you want. Sit down, baby, I'll get you all dolled up."

To her amusement he did, and so Regan applied the barest hint of foundation, relishing the chance to just run her fingers over his face. "Luckily you and Robyn are the same shade of translucent," she remarked. "Want some eyeliner? We can give you a subtle, emo look."

"Naw, just some mascara."

She called his bluff and pulled out the mascara, and when he just waited expectantly with a nice evenly toned complexion after the foundation application, and then fluttered his eyelashes at her, she cracked up, delighted. "You will have the most luscious eyelashes of any boy out there," she crooned. "Look up."

"Ow, did you just poke me in the eye?"

"Shh, you're just not used to it."

Rowen didn't bother wiping away anything she did, and when they both stood again, Regan rose on tiptoe to admire her handiwork. "Very nice," she drawled. He smiled down at her, then tilted her chin up to look at him.

"You look as beautiful as you are in here," he said, laying his hand near her heart, "and here." He rubbed his thumb over her temple, and then kissed her. Regan squeezed her eyes shut as she felt another piece of her heart break. When he broke the kiss, she hugged him hard, calming herself by listening to Rowen's heartbeat and feeling his solid, lean body against hers. He squeezed her back, hard enough to make her wheeze out a laugh. But then he didn't let go, either—he didn't say anything, but the ferocity in his embrace said enough.

An _I love you_ trembled on her lips, but Regan swallowed it and kissed his neck. Not now. She'd cry if she said it now. "You smell so good." She took in a deep breath, stepped back, and smiled at him. "Let's go see a wedding, handsome." Her breath caught when he tilted his head at her, considered her for a moment in a way she couldn't read, yet made her feel completely transparent. Then the moment passed, and a smirk lightened his blue eyes and touched his lips.

"Wait'll you hear the speech I wrote."

She patted his arm as they walked out of the bedroom, arm in arm. "He's not going to let you read that, sweetheart."

* * *

International relatives and wedding guests cooed over the sweet wedding arch and decorations in the manor's backyard, set off to the side by the woods. Seats were set up around a center "aisle" of flower petals. The wedding arch was made of gnarled driftwood, with green ivy and white gardenias interwoven through the branches. Mia's family, coworkers, and friends sat on the left side of the aisle, and Cye's on the right. Regan sat near Kento's family, and happily chatted with his mother and siblings while they waited. A few minutes before the ceremony began, an elderly gentleman in houndstooth dress slacks sat himself in the last aisle on the bride's side.

While guests arrived and were seated in the back, a string quartet began playing elegant, heart rending music. They continued to play as the Shinto priest, in his white _saifuku_ robes and black _kamnuri_ , stood in front of the small ceremonial table underneath the arch and waited.

Robyn held her small bouquet of flowers tightly as she stared at the back of Sayoko's head. Cye's sister would be the first to go down the aisle, with Ryo. Mia jokingly called him her "man of honor," and thus walked down with the proper matron of honor. She glanced at Ryo, and found his attention on the woods beyond the wedding arch, scanning the area.

She must have stiffened, because a supportive hand pressed against the small of her back. "Just being cautious," Kento murmured. "You know he can't help it."

"It's good, I guess," she said just as quietly. But please, if anyone was listening, let Cye's wedding be beautiful and perfect and normal. She looked over at her groomsman and suppressed a smile. The tailored suit jacket somehow made Kento's heavily muscled frame loom even larger. "You look great, Kento."

He flashed her a heart stopping smile. "Thanks, babe. You look totally hot, by the way. That's a really good color on you."

Ryo turned to give him a look, and they could hear Sage sigh behind them.

"Thanks," she laughed.

"Hey, later at the reception, can I carry you in over my shoulder when they announce us, like Tarzan?"

"Not a chance."

"How about a dance? Do you know how to dougie?"

Kento started rattling off the names of ridiculous dances, and Robyn had to hide her face against his shoulder to stifle her giggles as she kept shooting them down. Cye finally shushed them, as it looked like the priest was calling him up to stand and wait, and the procession would begin soon.

"I love you both, but inside voices…even though we're outside." Cye went over to them, and Kento gave him a bone crushing hug. "See you all up there." He gave Robyn a kiss on the cheek, then his sister, and then joined the priest at the arch.

When the music changed, the bridesmaids and groomsmen filed down the middle aisle and separated to each side. Cye watched his best friends in the entire world stand up for him at his wedding, and his heart filled again—with gratitude, with joy, and with a serene sort of peace he rarely felt.

He mostly felt it when he was with Mia.

Torrent knew she would take his breath away. He didn't know the sight of her would make him want to drop to his knees at her feet. It wasn't the dress, although Mia's dress was beautiful. It wasn't a traditional wedding kimono, as neither of them actively practiced Shinto nor were they exceptionally traditional. The ivory dress had been her grandmother's, brought in all the way from Paris. The skirt flared in a tulle A-line, and beaded lace wove patterns up to the sweetheart neckline. Fine mesh with the beaded lace pattern woven in rose to her neck and covered her upper back, ending in short cap sleeves. Mia wore flowers in her hair and a radiant smile on her face, and it was that smile that undid him. She always looked regal and beyond comparison to him, as she did right now. But she never looked away from him as her father led her down the aisle, and tears shined in her eyes. Right now she looked…

Happy. Excited. Despite everything they had suffered through, over the past eleven years, the past six months, Mia Koji still walked down that aisle to marry him. Cye shook his head as emotion clogged his throat, blinked rapidly, and gave his bride a slow smile. Mia beamed at him, practically rising on her tiptoes as she quickened her pace to him. Her father hugged her, and Mia watched Cye over her father's shoulder. When he took his seat, Cye's hands reached for her and she held them tightly, joining Torrent in the center of the arch.

"Ready?" he asked her quietly.

Mia laughed breathlessly, and a few of the happy tears fell. "I can't wait."

* * *

The ceremony was short, but imbued with meaning and heartfelt emotion. Mia's family, Cye's mother, and Kento's mother all cried as they read their vows to one another. The ceremonial table held three cups and a bottle of sake for san-san-kudo. Mia and Cye took three sips from each cup together; Cye's mother came up and took three sips from the cups; and finally, Mia's parents came up and took three sips from the cups, solidifying the bond between the families.

Mia moved and spoke as if in a dream, some part of her not fully processing that it was finally happening, and it was as perfect as she imagined. Her heart hammered as she took in Cye, his handsome face and those sea green eyes that expressed so much, all of the time, now expressing his love for her and a contentment that she'd always wanted for him—for all of them. The boy she had known, who had given his body and soul over to a war and a role he never asked for, and yet wore that mantle again and again when he was needed, was now a man who had captured her heart. He could keep it for eternity, as far as she was concerned.

When the Shinto priest blessed their union and pronounced them married, Mia met Cye halfway and kissed him, only distantly aware of the merry din from the crowd. All she really cared about was the feel of Cye's thick hair around her fingertips, the feel of his neck against her palm, his lips on hers, and the murmur of his voice as he whispered his love for her against her mouth.

Nothing else mattered.

* * *

 _Ting ting ting_.

The buzz of seated guests at dinner quieted to a low murmur. Then silence, as the mother of the groom stood and beamed out at the guests seated at wooden tables. Candles flickered atop small, flowering centerpieces and scattered down each table; strings of lights hung from the canopy posts to the center and lit the faces of the wedding guests in mellow lighting as the sun went down in a glorious show of deep oranges and grapefruit pinks.

"Thank you all for coming out to support my son and his lovely bride on their wedding day," Mrs. Mouri said warmly. She reached down to squeeze Cye's shoulder, and he reached up to squeeze her hand. The pair smiled at each other, and Cye scrunched his nose at her, like he used to do when he was a little boy. Mrs. Mouri patted his cheek. "I speak for the Mouri clan when I express my gratitude, thanks, and appreciation for all of you, and for the Koji clan. Welcome to our family. And Mia, darling, I am proud to call you my daughter."

One after another, the speeches continued throughout dinner. The bride and groom also spoke words of gratitude and love to their parents. Mia had changed into a more traditional, colorful kimono for the reception, kanzashi tucked into her chignon, her cheeks flushed with happiness. Cye found any excuse he could to touch her throughout the meal—a hand on her wrist, tucking hair behind her ear, a touch on the shoulder. They sat at a longer wooden table with their families, and low, serene music played in the background.

"Everything's happening in threes," Regan noted, as even the dishes served were grouped in pairs of threes.

"Odd numbers are lucky," Rowen told her. "Even numbers, especially two, represent a divide between married couples, and nobody wants that bad juju at a wedding."

"Ah. The three cups make more sense now."

While Rowen preoccupied Regan by explaining the sake ceremony to her, Sage caught himself staring thoughtfully at the couple, as discreetly as possible. Cye had made a stray reference to Robyn leaving next week, because Regan's project ended. Which naturally meant both women would leave Japan. Admittedly, he wasn't happy for Robyn to leave, because in spite of everything, she seemed happy, and he was pleased that they were slowly becoming friends. He didn't want that cut off prematurely. It also occurred to him over the course of the day that he didn't know Regan very well, even though she was important to his best friend. Rowen hadn't said the words yet, but he was hopelessly in love with her and it showed every time he talked about her; which was all the time.

Sage didn't want his best friend picking up the pieces of a shattered heart after she moved away. He thought he knew enough of Regan's character to think that she didn't want that, either. But he had no idea, since the only conversations they had in the past revolved around theories about their enemy or safety. Sage took a sip of his wine and watched Rowen's face light up as Regan made him laugh. Her pretty green eyes were centered on Strata, her body leaned in to him as she spoke.

"She could be the best thing that ever happened to him or ruin his life," Kento commented, low enough to stay out of ear shot of Robyn. "No disrespect. I like her a lot. Keeps him on his toes. But it's hard to start over, man. If she can't do it, I don't know if he'd get over it."

Sage hummed an agreement. He tucked those thoughts in the back of his head for the rest of dinner, until the formal part of the reception ended and the music grew louder. A small, makeshift dance area has been set up under the lights, and couples and friends began dancing, the happy couple included. Sage found Ryo loitering by their table and stood next to his leader.

"You don't want to dance?" Sage asked dryly. Ryo snorted. The blond nodded toward Robyn, who was dancing to a faster song with Kento and laughing. "Don't hang on the sidelines all night. I'm sure she'd appreciate a dance before she leaves."

Wildfire started, blue eyed widening, before realization kicked in. A frown touched his lips. "I suppose you're right. That's coming up fast."

"And we're still not in the clear." Sage didn't relish bringing it up now, but even on the happiest of occasions, they couldn't become complacent. They learned that the hard way. "I'm going to walk the perimeter for a few minutes."

Ryo nodded, then clapped Halo on the shoulder. "Thanks. Let's rotate, every fifteen minutes; especially now that people are going to start wandering off. Sage nodded, then disappeared.

* * *

"Professor Kaneko!" Mia greeted happily, gathering the elderly professor in a hug.

"My dear, my dear, what a beautiful bride you make!" He squeezed her hands.

"Thank you for coming. This is my husband, Cye." It gave Mia a thrill to introduce him as such, and Cye shot her a warm look as he shook the professor's hand. It wasn't lost on him that this was the professor Mia and Rowen consulted about their monster problem, but he let the thought come and go without worry, content to watch Mia treat the elderly man like her own grandfather as she brought him to her father to talk.

While he hung back and let them converse, he felt a presence sidle up next to him. Cye raised an eyebrow at the taller ronin. "Not tonight," he requested.

Rowen breathed heavily out of his nose. "He's _here_ ," he stressed. "It would be rude for me to not at least thank him, since he wasted hours of his life looking up obscure urban legends for us. And maybe just pick his brain a little. I'll keep it brief and private."

Cye gave him a displeased look, but then sighed and relented. It wasn't a battle worth fighting. He just worried that even talk of it would invite the precious peace they held onto all day to come crashing down around their ears. He turned back to Mia, still speaking with Professor Kaneko, and managed to politely wrangle her from him to stop and greet the guests watching the dancers at another table. Rowen swooped in as soon as they left.

* * *

Regan sat at the table and watched Kento dance with Robyn fondly, the redhead's laughter reaching her ears from across the dance floor. It didn't escape her notice that Ryo stood off to the side and watched them with a remarkably solemn expression for the occasion. It didn't get any better when the song changed to something slower—was that a scowl? She only had a moment more to ponder on that before a navy blue-suited figure stepped in front of her. She looked up and found the ronin of Halo looming over her, thick blond hair sweeping over one eye, although she could see both lovely violet eyes from her vantage point.

"Regan, would you care to dance?" he asked smoothly.

She blinked up at him in surprise. Then tilted her head. A glimmer of an idea for this strange turn of events crossed her mind, but she didn't let it crystallize. "I would love to," she replied. He held out a hand and, suppressing a smile, she took it and let him escort her to her feet.

Sage looked more confident dancing in front of a large group of people than she would have given him credit for, even if it was a slower dance. He was such a private, contained person that it seemed like a remarkably social activity for him. Yet he easily led her into a waltz. Unbidden, a faint blush heated her cheeks when his arm wrapped around her waist and he clasped his hand in hers. She was _not_ used to this much interaction or touch between them, and his quiet, yet loud presence made her shy. She loved Rowen, but goodness, his best friend was a beautiful man.

"You look lovely," he started. She wore a moonlight gray knee-length dress with a tulle skirt, short sleeves, and small, delicate flowers woven into the fabric. Her hair fell in loose waves. She gave him a sweet, slightly self-conscious smile.

"Thank you. I would say all five of you have upstaged every man here in the "looks amazing" department. Which is to say you look very nice, too." Sage's eyes lightened with humor. "Was there something you wanted to talk about, Sage?" Her gaze was direct, the words frank, but her tone was genuinely curious.

"Yes." He took in a deep breath as they slowly waltzed around the dance floor. "Rowen is…Rowen is one of the best friends I will ever have, or could ever want. We have been through a great deal together, and although I don't vocalize it often, I do not hide that he is important to me. I don't think I'm remiss in remarking that he's important to you, too."

Stunned, Regan agreed.

"You're moving next week," Sage continued bluntly. "I don't mean to pry into your relationship with Rowen, but I can also state with some confidence that neither of you have discussed that. Rowen tells me everything, but not this, so I'm gathering he'd rather not talk about it, or it hasn't come up."

"But you want to talk about it," Regan said quietly.

"I want to protect my friend." Her expression closed a little—he watched her eyes become guarded, and he shook his head. "You haven't done anything wrong, Regan. But I wanted to ask you…I wanted to know if you've thought about what will happen after next week. He is happier with you than I've ever seen him, and he won't handle your absence well. Do you know how insufferable he'll be when you're gone?" The comment startled a laugh out of her. "Really, do you?"

"I have an idea." The humor drained out of Regan's face, and she sighed. She looked so sad and torn for a moment that Sage felt bad for bringing it up. "I have no choice about leaving next week," she said, looking at their feet as they danced. Her fingers had curled a little tighter into the material of his jacket. "My work visa expires. I do, though, have a choice after. I…I haven't told him this yet, how I really feel about him, but I want him to be the first to hear it." She gave him a pointed look, and Sage nodded, pleased to see it. "I have no intention of breaking up with him. He makes me happy, too. I've never…" Regan stopped herself, swallowed, and looked past Sage's shoulder to where Rowen spoke with the kindly old professor. She smiled at the sight of him leaning over to stay eye-to-eye with the elderly man and not tower over him. "I don't want to hurt him, but no matter what, I will."

The raw strain of pain in her voice made Sage rub her back consolingly for a moment. "Not if you talk to him," he said gently.

"He doesn't…" she stopped herself again, bit her lip, and stared at Sage in mute frustration for a moment. "There are a lot of things we have to talk about, and it may change things."

Sage recalled previous conversations with Rowen, and Robyn, about some of the enigmas in this girl's past. "He is one of the most open-minded people I've ever met."

She smiled at him sadly. "I know. It's wonderful. And I don't know if I've said it, but he's lucky to have you. Rowen talks about you so often. I'm sorry I haven't made more of an effort to get to know you, too. I honestly don't know why we haven't talked much before this."

"It's also an oversight on my part," he admitted. "And Rowen excels at monopolizing other people's time."

She laughed. "He does. I let him, though, and I can be just as bad." Sage smoothly twirled her, then, and brought her back. "You're a really good dancer," she complimented. "Whenever do you find the time between saving the world and kendo?"

Sage's lips twitched. "Here and there. You're not bad yourself, you picked this up quickly."

"My brother. And I took ballet until I was twelve."

"Really?"

They talked about dance forms, and then her brother, and Regan found herself relaxing and enjoying Sage's company. It was the most they had spoken to one another all year, and it felt good to get to know Rowen's closest friend. When he suggested dinner at Rowen's place before she left, the three of them, she jumped at the opportunity.

When the song ended, Sage looked down at his partner and felt less conflicted about the future of his best friend's happiness. It wouldn't be easy for either of them, but after looking in her eyes when she talked about him, he knew she wasn't going anywhere for long.

"Thank you for the dance, Miss Sundari." Sage bowed, then collected her hand to kiss the back of it.

Someone cleared their throat nearby, and the blond raised one elegant eyebrow, still holding Regan's hand. "Can I help you?" he asked coolly.

"Can I have my girlfriend back?" Rowen asked.

"Only if you ask nicely."

Sage and Regan both could see it, the glimmer of a smart remark birthing itself in Rowen's brain. Then he seemed to think better of it.

"Please," Strata said, looking Halo square in the eyes.

As gracefully as he did most things, Sage gestured his lovely companion's hand over to Rowen. Then gave him a discerning look.

"Are you... wearing makeup?"

Strata grinned. "My girl dolled me up. Jealous of my beauty?"

There was a look of pure humor on Halo's face before he schooled it. With a polite nod to Regan, Sage quit the dance floor. Rowen immediately took Sage's place in her arms, his body closer, more familiar with hers than her last dance partner.

"So what did he want to talk to you about?"

Regan blinked at the sudden, bold question. He could still take her by surprise time and again with his bluntness.

"I know he danced with you because he wanted to discuss something with you, what was it?"

Regan's mouth hung open for a moment and then she said, "You are so nosy."

"It's my curious, genius brain. You love me for it. Now spill."

"I don't—" But she did. More by the day. And she still didn't know what to do about it. "We talked about you. And it reminded me that I have something to talk to you about." She looked him in the face, gentle but serious. "I think you know what it is."

She wasn't sure in the dim lights, but it seemed Rowen paled a little bit. It was his turn to take a moment to find the words. "Yeah, I..." He glanced away. "I know."

"We should have talked about it earlier."

Now his gaze was on their shoes. "Maybe."

Regan forced out a laugh. "You're so bold and blunt talking about everything else. Is talking about us going to be so bad?"

He raised his head at her laughter. There was careful humor in his eyes and the pull of a smile. "Maybe. I fear I won't like the conclusion."

"Are you so sure you know what that conclusion is?"

A sculpted brow arched in curiosity. "Do you know?"

Regan let out a small breath. "No." She smiled. "But I want to find that out with you. Not tonight. Tonight isn't about us. But soon."

Rowen nodded, his smile as careful as hers. "Okay."

* * *

Ryo returned from patrolling the parameter of the house and the outside party. Sage met him near the dance floor and took his turn. Neither had yet the heart to ask Rowen or Kento to help out just yet. They were having too much fun, whereas neither Halo nor Wildfire really minded being away from the crowds. Large parties were never their thing.

As the sun set, the growing darkness allowed the lights strung all around the large canopy above them to bathe the party in a romantic glow. Ryo skulked in the shadows brought on by the fading sunlight as he watched over the guests, his gaze wandering from side to side.

Cye and Mia were making their rounds to all the guests. Rowen and Regan were on the dance floor. Kento was now without Robyn's company as one of Mia's cousins, red cheeked, was dragging him to the dance floor. A bit more looking around and Ryo found the redhead leaning against a table and removing her dress shoes. She carried them by the straps as she then walked off the portable dance floor and flexed her toes in the grass.

Ryo recalled when he first caught a glance at her earlier that afternoon in the house. Her hair was all done up and she shimmered like a fairy princess. Shimmer was not a word he would associate with the redhead. Robyn usually had more of a dusty, windswept look to her. Not entirely unpleasant to look at, but that was the look he was used to. This was... he wanted to say something to her, but she whisked by him so fast. With only a nod in his direction to acknowledge his presence, she was off to handle some wedding-related task and Ryo hadn't conversed with her since.

It was Mia who finally gave Wildfire the time of day. Ryo had slipped in to see her before the ceremony and she both praised his appearance while laughing that although the disheveled look was good on him, he needed to be a little neater in appearance until at least the ceremony and pictures were over. Sage swept in at that time and berated him over just helping him straighten up a half an hour ago and to please stop pulling at everything like a country bumpkin who had never worn a formal jacket before.

The two fussed and fidgeted with his tux until they were satisfied, but Ryo knew by now he had probably undone all their work. He didn't even know where his bowtie was right now and he was tempted to lose the jacket. At the same time, for some reason, he wanted Robyn to see him all dressed up and really look at him. He also wanted to get a closer look at her, too.

Ryo purposefully brushed shoulders with her when he moved to stand beside her. She glanced up, just enough to see who it was, before returning her gaze to the blanket of stars above them. It was so hard to see the stars in the city, but at Mia's they were always gorgeous.

"Hey, having fun?" she greeted.

"It's... fine," he responded.

She laughed a little through her nose. "I'm not used to being around so many people for so long."

"Same."

"The food's good though. Have you had any?" When Ryo didn't answer she said, "You should before it's all gone. Might as well enjoy free food while you can."

Ryo just smiled, glancing at her from the side. That windswept look was slowly taking over again as her thin hair was falling out of its intricate style. She always had a few stray strands around her face. Her hair just never wanted to behave.

Without thinking about it, he reached out to brush a strand of red hair when she suddenly jerked her head toward the dark forest in the distance. Ryo immediately picked up her change in body language. He had seen this before. When her head snapped to look at him with wide eyes, he could almost predict what she was going to say.

"Ryo. It's coming."

Wildfire's first reaction was of muscle memory as he reached for the swords on his back. He stopped himself halfway, remembering where he was and what he was wearing. Whatever was coming, he felt very ill prepared.

"Find Mia," he ordered in a low voice. "Get her and the guests to the house."

Robyn nodded and disappeared into the crowd, her shoes discarded on a chair.

Ryo worked his way around as well, trying to catch the eyes of his teammates while he went. None of them were looking his way; he didn't even know where Sage was right now. He didn't even make it from one side of the party to the other before he heard a female voice— pitched higher than the regular din—cry, "What…what _is_ that?"

Ryo surged through crowd in that direction as more startled shouts and screams came. In the corner of his eye he saw Rowen follow after him. He nearly reached the other side of the canopy when something big from outside ripped it down and tore the whole thing over. Guests stumbled back and fell as electrical cords and strings of lights whipped around.

With the power cords yanked out, there was very little light to be had out on the sprawling backyard of the mansion. However, one could make out the hulking form in the darkness. It was huge; as big as the canopy it ripped down. Pale in the moonlight with a white body and black markings similar to White Blaze. As was the face: tiger-like in shape and fur.

The rest of it was all spider, from the swelled, tiger-striped abdomen to the eight furry legs, thick as tree trunks. The tiger face held two cat-like eyes in the proper places, then three red insectoid eyes above them. Even as people were scrambling around him, Ryo was having trouble taking the alien form in and processing what he was looking at.

"Ryo, I've seen a picture of that thing before," Rowen breathed. "It's—"

"The tsuchigumo." Professor Kaneko stood between the two warriors, wide-eyed with wonder.

The monster swiped at them with a massive limb. Ryo dove in one direction while Rowen grabbed the professor and dodged in the other direction. Ryo felt his subarmor manifest beneath his already constricting tuxedo. The sleeves immediately tore at the hem as a result. He ripped the sleeves and the rest of the monkey suit off. Professor Kaneko's eyes widened at him, momentarily forgetting the monster looming over them.

"Rowen, get him out of here!" Ryo ordered.

"Ryo—"

"It's my monster! It's here for me! I'll lead it away from everyone."

Rowen merely nodded as he effortlessly pulled tKaneko to his feet faster than the older man could himself. His subarmor had also appeared beneath his clothes and Kaneko stared just as dumbfounded at the white metal hands holding his arms. Rowen didn't give him a chance to ask questions as he bodily herded him and any other stragglers who hadn't already fled toward the house. The sounds of cars peeling out could be heard in the distance. Some people were really getting out of there. Rowen wished he could get them all to leave far, far away from this.

The tsuchigumo glanced at the fleeing crowd, then turned its tiger-like head toward Ryo as he waved wildly at it.

"Over here! It's me you came for."

The monster lunged for him and Ryo took off toward the woods behind the mansion. The tsuchigumo pursued for a moment, and then changed its mind. Ryo glanced back when he was almost to the trees, only to see he was no longer being followed. The tsuchigumo was skulking back toward the wedding party.

"Damn it!" he hissed as he turned and sprinted back.

* * *

Mia stared defiantly at the hulking beast as guests scattered around her. Fists were clenched at her sides. Of course, if there was still a monster it would attack at her wedding. Of course it would. At least it allowed them to finish the ceremony before ruining everything.

She had been so irate about the whole thing that she hadn't noticed her parents tugging at her to retreat to the house. Not until Robyn stood in front of her, blocking her stare.

"Mia, we need to go. We need to get your parents safe and they're not going to leave without you."

This shook the bride from her thoughts. She glanced back at the alarmed concern on her father's face, the absolute horror on her mother's. She couldn't let them stay out here. Turning to her mother's pleading face she said, "Right. Let's get you to the house. It will be okay."

Just as they turned to flee, Rowen caught up with them and deposited Professor Kaneko in their midst. "Make sure he gets inside, too."

Regan also ran up just then, attempting to remove her heels in the process. They were making it very difficult to get around in the grass. "Rowen, let me help."

"No, you are not fighting that thing," Strata insisted.

"But—"

"You can best help by making sure everyone gets to the house safely. Don't let that monster touch anyone. We'll take care of the rest."

Regan gave him a stubborn look, clenching her jaw.

Rowen placed his hands on her shoulders. "Please," he said more gently. "We'll fight better knowing you're there keeping everyone safe."

She let out a heavy breath. "Fine."

Rowen kissed her forehead. "Thank you. I love you." And then he was gone.

Regan blinked after him, dumbfounded. Did she hear correctly? Did he just say...?

"Regan," Robyn called, pulling her out of her stupor.

Kento and Cye, who had been previously helping some of the slower guests get to safety, ran by. The latter stopped when he saw his bride. The two locked eyes for a second. Then Mia gave him a confident smile and a nod. Go. Go do what you do best. Protect us all.

Cye nodded back and ran to join the fray.

"This thing is fucking huge! What are we supposed to do about it?" Kento asked, now free of his rented tux and in subarmor.

"Same as the last big one?" Rowen suggested. "Distract it long enough for Ryo to set the whole thing on fire."

As he spoke, Ryo ran up to the scene from behind. The giant spider-like creature turned and caught him with a massive leg, sending Ryo flying back the way he came toward the trees.

"Or maybe not."

Rowen was hit next as the spider spun around. It moved so much faster than they expected of a creature that size. Rowen felt a heavy punch to his chest and he went air born into the remaining set of tables with food still on display.

"Oh man, not the cake!" Kento cried.

"That cake was so expensive," Cye hissed, equally horrified.

Strata was scooping handfuls of icing out of his hair. Then, the tsuchigumo opened its great maw and hissed a filmy web all over him. The analytical part of Rowen's mind was offended that the source of the web was not correct with actual spiders. The pragmatic part of him argued he should be grateful it wasn't coming out the other end when it got in his face.

He didn't have too much more time to think about it when the tsuchigumo advanced on him, mouth open to devour its prey. A feline scream pierced the air as White Blaze suddenly appeared and jumped on the monster's face. The tsuchigumo dwarfed the white tiger by several sizes, but White Blaze held on, clawing and biting at its face while the monster thrashed about.

With it distracted, Cye and Kento rushed to Rowen's aid and began tearing at the webbing that had Strata all wrapped up like a mummy.

"You okay, Rowen?" Cye asked.

"Fine. Just really, really sticky."

The tsuchigumo managed to fling White Blaze off and the tiger landed protectively in front of the three warriors. The big cat was puffed up more than they had ever seen him and he gave out a high, cat-like scream instead of his usual roar, ears pressed tightly to his skull.

"Woah, that thing is freaking out White Blaze big time," Kento said.

The tiger face on the spider body hissed back and then sprayed them all with a wide net-like film of webbing. Cye had tried to dodge out of the way and the sticky net caught his lower half. He fell to the ground, desperately kicking it off to get free while his two companions and the tiger thrashed about, fully captured.

Seeing which of its prey was closest to escaping, the tsuchigumo focused on Cye, lurching down to devour Torrent. Cye grabbed the thing by its jaws, fighting to prevent it from taking a bite. He could hear Kento and Rowen calling his name as they continued to struggle. The webbing only tangled them tighter the more they moved.

"HEY!" Ryo's voice cut through the air. "You're my monster. Come after me!"

The creature paused in its attack on Torrent and turned its head in Ryo's direction. It smiled at him in a way no animal could; full of intelligence and malevolence. Though its mouth didn't move, Ryo heard a voice hiss in his mind.

 _All of you. I will devour you all._

"Not a chance!" came a new voice.

Sage of Halo, bedecked in full armor, flew through the air and landed squarely on the spider's swollen abdomen. He stabbed his no datchi into the monster's flesh. "Thunder Bolt Cut!"

The night lit up with the crackle of electricity as the tsuchigumo was consumed in lightning. It squealed and thrashed while Sage stubbornly clung to its back, pumping more and more of the armor's power into it. When he felt it was enough, he leaped off onto the ground near his comrades and watched as the creature twitched and sizzled from the attack. Several of the eyes had ruptured and the body was scorched and smoking.

With a few more twitches, life left the abomination and the great spider tipped over and then turned to a pile of ash. Those ashes faded away in a cloud of black smoke, leaving no evidence of the body save for the destruction it caused.

* * *

The mess of the wedding reception outside was, unfortunately, equal to the mess inside the mansion. Understandably, those guests who didn't just outright get in their cars and flee the area were hysterical and confused. The girls were doing their best to take control of the situation, but it took quite a while to calm everyone down.

When there was no more monster left to see, when the five warriors all came back unharmed and no one else seemed to be hurt or missing, the guests began to quiet, though many were still quite traumatized. Someone had called the police at some point. They came nearly an hour after the incident, since Mia lived so far out in the country. By then, many of the remaining guests had been escorted to their cars and told to drive home. Those who refused felt safer after police escorted them off the property.

Everyone at the house was questioned. No one had any answers to give. The ronins and the girls all played as dumb as the rest. They saw something they could not describe. It came and tore up everything, left a big mess, and then disappeared. No one was hurt and they hadn't seen the creature since.

It wasn't until all the guests and the police had left that the true discussion was had between Mia and her remaining family members. So much more than she ever thought she'd tell them came out, but at this point, they deserved to know the truth. She couldn't hide it from them anymore, and could not lie to them like she had to the police.

In the meantime, Rowen retired to the bathroom to wash off cake and spider web. Regan followed him to the bathroom, but he was the only one who showered. She didn't mention what she heard him say, and he didn't either, but she turned those words over and over in her mind while he told her about the battle over the spatter of the showerhead.

When they returned to the main room, Cye's mother was there as well. Mia sounded like she was wrapping up the story about the whole Talpa incident and how she had met them all. Both Cye and Mrs. Mouri stood by, quietly supportive and chiming in to answer questions or help explain, but it was also easily to see that some of the information pouring out was new to even Cye's mother.

"I still can't believe all of this. The story of the armors…they were real," Professor Kaneko said with awe. He had stayed as well to hear the story. There was no way he was missing out on this. "Mia, I had no idea you lost your grandfather this way, that you had been through so much. And when you told me you met the bearers of the armors, I didn't believe you. I am so sorry."

"To be fair, it's a very unbelievable story. The fact that no one in the city remembers it happening doesn't help," Mia said. Cye was standing next to her. Both had now changed to regular clothes, although Mia's hair was still done up, miraculously intact for all the running around she did. Cye squeezed her hand in his.

Professor Kaneko turned to Cye's mother. "Mrs. Mouri, did you know? Did you know that your son was an armor bearer?"

"I knew he had a great duty that was given to him," she answered after a pause, her hand reaching up to affectionately stroke the hair at the nape of her son's neck. "I didn't know at the time it was happening—none of us did, of course—but I knew something had occurred after the fact. I've never made him explain himself, but he's always known he can talk to me." She and Cye shared a fond smile. "I know it hasn't been easy for him, but he's accepted this duty with a grace beyond his years. And he had Mia to help him through that."

Mrs. Mouri stopped addressing the Kojis to turn to her daughter-in-law. She framed the young woman's face in her hands. "I will never be able to thank you enough for what you did for them, and for my son. And it had to have been so hard and frightening for you. I am so happy that you found happiness in each other. I'm so sorry this happened today."

Mia swallowed hard and squeezed Mrs. Mouri's hands. "It's okay," she whispered, then said louder, "It _was_ a very difficult time, but I am grateful I was a part of it, to see how amazing they all are." She then smiled up at her new husband. "To be able to remember what they have done for all of us."

Mia's mother still looked very, very pale, as she had through most of the story. Haunted from what she glimpsed outside, distraught at the destruction of the wedding and the bombshell her daughter just shared with her. "I wish you would have told us. We never really knew what happened with your grandfather."

Mia touched her mother's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what to say. I don't know if you would have believed me. And honestly, when I was younger, I was afraid you would fear for my safety and order me back to France."

"Would we have been wrong?" her father suddenly chimed in. "It doesn't seem like you are safe at all. Is all this tonight still part of fighting this Talpa?"

There was suddenly an uncomfortable aura in the room. Mia's mouth moved, but she struggled to find the words.

"No," Mrs. Mouri said, although she looked at her son with uncertainty.

"No," he agreed. His eyes, though, were sad. "Unfortunately, being who we are will always invite danger, of one kind or another. Believe me, I tried to dissuade Mia from becoming involved when we were first dating, but this is what she wanted. So I promised her, as I'll promise you, that I will always keep her safe."

"A monster just attacked us all!" Mia's father burst out. "Ruined her wedding and could have killed her—are you suggesting this happens _frequently?_ Are we supposed to be fine with leaving her here in your care?"

"Père, I am a grown woman," Mia defended, cheeks flushing in indignation for Cye and the other ronins. "I can take care of myself, and when it's more than I can handle, that is what they are here for. And believe me, they have and will do _anything_ to protect others. No one was even injured tonight because of them." Her father began to argue back in French, and Mia cut him off. "If not for them, if not for my husband, I would not be standing here." Mia's voice trembled, her eyes pleading with her father to understand. She put an arm around Cye's waist, feeling his stiffened posture and squeezing him. "I wouldn't have it any other way. This is what I choose. My place is with them, for better or worse."

Mrs. Mouri approached Mia's parents and offered to talk to them in private, to answer more questions, and they agreed. Mia's father looked at his daughter and son-in-law with a flash of regret over the barely concealed concern, and followed Cye's mother and his wife into the kitchen.

Professor Kaneko remained, still seated on the couch as he watched the exchange. "I dare say I have as much faith in you boys as this lovely bride does," he told Cye.

Torrent smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Professor."

The old man peered over at the blue-haired ronin and the young woman in the gray dress. "And I see Mia wasn't the only one to make such a decision." He nodded toward them.

"Ah, yes." Rowen shook his head, and in the act tried to shake off some of the negative thoughts the conversation stirred in his mind. He wrapped his arm around Rae's waist and squeezed her more tightly than he'd intended. "Professor, this is my girlfriend Regan. I'm sorry we weren't given enough time for a proper introduction before."

Kaneko greeted the brunette, and she smiled at him and responded in kind. Then he glanced behind them. "And you?"

From where she leaned against the kitchen doorway eating ice cream, Robyn's eyes widened, spoon still in her mouth. "Oh, I'm nobody. I'm nobody's girlfriend. I just... came for ice cream." And with that, she backed out of the room and disappeared.

Cye rolled his eyes, although his heart didn't feel so heavy. Mia's hand was still firmly in his, her thumb rubbing his palm soothingly. "She's a family friend. She also knows about the armors as we had to call upon them to fight another evil threatening mankind a few years after Talpa."

Kaneko gave a calculating look from the couple to Rowen. "Just as, I'm assuming, you have another evil you are fighting now, I assume."

"Fought," Kento spoke up to the back corner where he leaned against the wall with arms crossed over his chest. All ronins were present in the room and wearing street clothes as each of their tuxes were ruined by subarmor. "We better have got them all by now."

Kaneko looked at the burly man as if seeing him for the first time. He hadn't really taken time to acknowledge the other ronins in the room while Mia had told the vague, but fascinating tale of their battle with Talpa. Her own family knew nothing of the armor legends other than it was something she and her grandfather shared.

"I supposed you'd like armor names to go with faces?" Mia asked, amused. She put a hand on Cye's arm. "My husband, the bearer of the armor of Torrent. And this is Kento of Hardrock, Ryo of Wildfire, Sage of Halo. And, of course, you know Rowen of Strata."

Rowen nodded to Kaneko who, for a moment, marveled that he had conversed with an armor bearer on several occasions without knowing it. Then he gave Rowen a thoughtful look. "So all the questions you've been asking me these past several weeks, it had everything to do with you fighting that tsuchigumo."

"Not just that, there were others," Rowen confirmed. "We are hoping the tsuchigumo was the last one. Though to be honest, we're not entirely sure how they came to be or if that one was truly the last monster."

Kaneko reached up to place a hand on Strata's shoulder. "Tell me all about it, maybe I can help."

"How about over some wine and ice cream," Mia suggested. "The cake is a wash, but we still have plenty of the latter left in the freezer."

The professor smiled. "I would like that very much. A good monster story pairs well with ice cream and alcohol."

* * *

Cye shifted restlessly in bed as he slept. In the darkness of his dreams, something large and snakelike roiled slowly through the black shadows of his subconscious. It was sliding down the mountain, hunting him. The massive coils slithered through the trees, constricting in the forest around him home. It was coming for him all over again. He swore he heard it hiss outside of his dreams.

Cye's eyes popped open as he sat up, skin damp with sweat. He slapped a palm to the side of his neck as if something had bit him. Was there something there? He couldn't tell. Mia slept next to him, unharmed and breathing easily. He sat still in bed and listened. The house— _their_ house—was quiet.

He glanced down at his wife in the pale light of the moon, her back to him. Gently, he combed her hair away from the back of her neck, gliding his fingers over her smooth skin.

His blood froze when he saw the mark. The small, round tattoo with the ancient symbol.

It came back. And the reason why hit him even as he despaired at the sight of it.

Though they had killed all the monsters, they hadn't killed the _source_. Kaneko had suggested a source of power for all the monsters. He had been right. And now, it was starting all over again.

A creak of the house settling had Cye hunching defensively over his wife's prone, sleeping form. Anger and fear stirred in his gut. He reached for his phone.

They would finish it before it could even start.


	18. Chapter 17

**Urban Legend**

 **Chapter 17**

The sun was just beginning to rise as they began their drive up the mountainside. The orange and purple rays peering over the tree-covered peaks slyly brought a breathtaking beauty to the wild landscape. Only those making their careful way up the road knew that lovely scene hid something deadly and horrifying.

Well before dawn, Cye had quietly assembled his team in the kitchen. All ronins confirmed that they too bore their marks once more. They could feel it in their guts, in their armors, that they were on the menu again and those monsters would be coming for them. In whispers around the kitchen table, they unanimously decided it was time to go back and bring the fight to the source of all of this. It had to end now.

Only Robyn wasn't present for the conversation. Mia and Regan joined the meeting when Cye and Rowen respectively left their beds. For a moment, they all considered letting Robyn sleep and leaving her at the mansion, but the risk was too great. They couldn't afford to leave her there unprotected, especially with her monster. It was a danger to her and everyone else still in the house. Regan snuck in to wake her up and Robyn obediently dressed in silence and met them downstairs.

They all left the mansion while it was still dark with only a brief and vague note left behind for Mia's family not to worry, that they would return soon. By dawn, the two-car convoy was nearly to their destination.

Mia led the way in her car, Cye in the passenger seat with Ryo and Kento in the back. The girls were driving in order to allow the boys to get some sleep. Though there would be little rest on the drive. The car was silent the entire way up. Cye sat listless in the front, eyes drooping up and down as he watched the road. In the back, Ryo leaned his head against the side window, eyes hooded, but never closed all the way. Kento's head had lolled back against the headrest. His eyes remained closed most of the time, but his body remained tight, his fists clenching now and then.

Regan followed behind, driving Sage's car with Halo in the passenger seat. It was dead silent there, too. Sage watched the dawn rise out the side window, chin resting on his propped up fist. In the back, Rowen seemed to have managed to drift off. He had slumped against Robyn, his head resting on her shoulder. Regan glanced back at them through the rear view mirror just in time to see Robyn brush her fingers through the hair at Strata's neck. He sighed in response. Regan felt not a single hint of jealousy. It warmed her to see her best friend caring for the man she loved. This was going to be a difficult day for all of them. They needed a little peace before the storm broke.

As the drive took both vehicles further up the mountain, the tension rose. Hearts beat faster; everyone was alert now. Mia gripped the steering wheel tight as she stared at the mountainside, trying to find that building Regan once spied by accident. It seemed almost like a lifetime ago when they were carefree and eager for a summer vacation. They didn't even realize what danger they were walking into.

Cye's gentle hand on her wrist reminded her how hard she was gripping the wheel and she forced herself to relax a little. "It's going to be okay," he whispered gently and she gave him a tired smile. If all of this hadn't happened, the two of them would be boarding a plane for their honeymoon in Paris right now. All of that was put on hold until they knew they were safe. Mia regretted the stress and the fear of this situation, but she did not regret her marriage to this man. Never.

The winding road seemed to go on forever. Each bend revealed more road with no destination in sight. Mia began to wonder if they missed the turn off or if there were greater powers hiding the place from them and they were never going to find it. Then, suddenly, the road turned inward and they were driving through the woods and up to an old, rotting building that used to be a hotel.

Mia's pace slowed to a near crawl when the building appeared ahead. Yet, it seemed all too soon when they entered the parking lot. The building was as they remembered it when they fled on the last morning of their stay. Old; crumbled and musty. It had been decades without care, at least. The damage from the first monster fight was still evident and hadn't been touched since.

The two cars parked next to each other, and it was several moments before Sage decided he would get out. The rest immediately followed and stared at the old building carefully. All was calm. The sun was out. Birds sang. If the group had just found this place by happy accident, they would have found the it quite innocuous.

But every single one of them was taken back to that morning when they all suddenly woke up in filth and terror.

"What was that word you used to describe this place, Kento?" Rowen asked. "Janky hotel, you said?"

"As janky as they come," Kento confirmed, hands on hips.

"You know..." Robyn ventured, "…my swimming suit is still in there..."

"No," Rowen said quickly. "Every single one of us will spank you if you go in there."

Her eyes widened at the threat and, comically, her face turned very red.

"Though it isn't the hotel that we're really worried about, is it?" Mia asked in a somber tone. Everyone went quiet for several moments.

Most were now gazing to the mountains behind the hotel's remains, where they knew a path would lead them to their true destination. Sage took a moment to inspect the two old cars still in the parking lot from the last time they were there. They each looked to be from some time in the 70's. Two other cars, another group of people visiting unaware of what horror awaited them. Unlike his group, this one didn't make it out of the hotel after the first attack.

"Though none of us wants to be here," Sage said in the silence, "it's good that we are. This thing, this entity, has preyed on people before and will again if we don't stop it. We were destined to find this place, to come back here and finish this. It's our job as Ronin Warriors to seek out that which attacks the innocent and get rid of it. We weren't given these marks to be victims; we were chosen to do our jobs."

"What do you want us to do?" Robyn asked.

It was here the discussion wavered. Some thought the girls would be safest if they remained in one of the cars with the doors locked. But with this thing, whatever it was, having the ability to send out its monsters to much further locations than this, they all realized they would never know for sure if the girls would be safe. It was decided that since they all started it together, they would finish it together.

It was also decided that the guys would put on their subarmors before they headed to the trail. They weren't going to wait for an attack to arm themselves this time. Then, cautiously, the group set out in the early morning chill. They picked their way over the rubble of what remained of the hot springs and then stepped out the other side onto the well-worn path. A path that suspiciously remained well-worn despite decades between visitors.

The group made their way up the mountainside with a Ronin in the front, a Ronin in the back, and one between each of the girls for maximum safety. The over hour-long trek was nearly silent with mostly just the guys talking to check with each other that the coast was still clear. It felt almost absurdly normal; just an early morning hike in the mountains, as if there was nothing to worry about at all.

Then, the steep slope that led to the hidden village appeared ahead.

"Guys, hold on," Rowen said from the rear of the party. "I hear something."

All dirt shuffling and twig snapping came to a halt. Even breaths were held as they listened. The forest had gone dead silent. Then, with the sound of the breeze through the leaves, came the hush of something long and heavy slithering through the underbrush of the forest below them. That sound alone caused everyone's hair to stand on end. Suddenly, the woods were too tall, too thick around them. It could be too easy for an enemy to pop out from anywhere.

"Alright, let's get up there, and out of these woods, pronto," Kento announced. He pulled Mia's hand and practically dragged her up to the stiff slope in his haste to get them out of there. "Okay, now we're going to do it just like when Mia fell in that pit. Cye, you're first."

Kento crouched and entwined his fingers together. Cye knew exactly what he was talking about and obediently stepped up. He was propelled into the air and landed neatly on top of the edge several yards above. Mia was next and Cye caught her just like last time. Though, unlike last time, Kento didn't propel her comically high and she appreciated it. She did, however, use the moment as an excuse to wrap her arms around Cye in a quick, tight hug before he let her down.

One by one, they were all hefted up to the ledge in little more than a minute. Kento then rebounded off the rocks to quickly rendezvous with the rest of them. There they all paused in careful defense, the Ronins forming a circle around their three female companions. But nothing came for them. Not from the woods, nor from the hidden world inside. All seemed still.

Like before, a thin fog swirled around their feet, coming from the valley within. Unlike before, despite the sun shining bright in the sky, it seemed far too dark in the cupped hand of the valley. It was as if the light were filtered, blocked somehow from fully reaching the valley floor. The group lingered on their small patch of light, loath to go into the shadows.

"Okay," Sage announced with a heavy exhale. "We should probably go in fully prepared."

"I was thinking the same thing," Ryo agreed. "We armor up here. This thing, or at least its monsters, know about our armors. They've attempted to prevent us from calling them before. Let's not give them that chance."

They took turns so there would always be someone standing watch while armors were summoned. Sage and Cye first. Then Kento, Ryo and Rowen. Regan watched with the most intrigue, though all the girls found the summoning of the armors quite a sight to see. This was the first time Regan really got a good look at any of them as the armors rushed in with their amazing powers and manifested themselves on their bearer's bodies.

Of course, Strata held Regan's attention the most. The sleek and sharp silhouette of Strata made Rowen look lean and even taller than he was, yet so much bigger at the same time. When the energy died down, she approached him, entranced. A delicate hand rose to touch the midnight blue armor, but hesitated in mid air. Regan started when he reached out to her and gently took her wrist. She stiffened when he pressed her hand to his chest plate, but relaxed at the coolness of the metal. Strata seemed to thrum with an energy that wasn't necessarily unpleasant to feel radiate through her. It was a little like when Halo's power brushed through her when Sage healed her arm, only with Strata it held a curious sort of intimacy.

"It's breathtaking," she whispered.

With a smile, Rowen leaned down, their noses almost brushing, and whispered, "You're breathtak—"

"Yes, we get it, the armors are very pretty," Robyn interrupted. "Can we kill us some monsters before you guys start distracting each other?"

The clear hint of stress and panic in the redhead's voice quelled any snide remarks. She was right. They needed to focus on the danger at hand before allowing their thoughts to drift off toward the possibility of more celebratory activities.

If there would be anything to celebrate when this was all over.

The couple remained quiet after being chastised, though Rowen held Regan's hand and she squeezed it back as they carefully began to pick their way through the group of foggy trees that was the precursor to their final destination.

It was but a brief interlude to walk among the silent trees, where both sound and light seemed dampened by the thick foliage all around them. With Ryo in the lead, they emerged from the small forest.

The open sprawl of the ancient village appeared before them. At the sight of the dilapidated houses in the distance, that ancient Shinto shrine, Ryo stretched out a hand to stay the group. His other hand reached up to the handle of a katana.

Everyone remained still and silent, glancing around them in all directions for any sign of danger. The village remained dormant, the fog low and lazy without any sign of movement within.

"So, what's the plan?" Kento whispered. "Do we have a plan?"

"The plan is to find the source and take it out," Sage responded with a similar hushed tone. "We'll have to get it to expose itself somehow. It's got to be hiding around here somewhere."

"Do you expect us to go wandering around the village looking for it?" Cye hissed. "It would be a perfect opportunity for every one of our monsters to attack at once."

"If they can," Robyn said quietly, though not as carefully quiet as the others had been. "There was only one instance where we saw more than one monster at a time. Maybe it can't stretch itself so thin like that."

"A good theory, but one we can't afford to bet on, especially when it comes to everyone's safety while we fight this thing." Rowen said, not looking at her. He kept his gaze to the rear to make sure nothing snuck up behind them.

"If you find the source, it's going to be more concerned with trying not to be killed by you guys than sending monsters after us," Regan reasoned. "And you know I can keep Robyn and Mia safe during the battle."

Rowen turned to give his girlfriend a smile, but there was no warmth in it—only worry. Regan's power was formidable, but not infinite. He had seen what overuse of her abilities could do to her. He never wanted to see her like that again, and he worried for her just as he worried for the other two women in their care.

"Whatever and wherever it is, it's waiting for us," Cye said gravely as he looked at the village. "Can't you feel it? It's out there and it's trying to will us to come into its trap." He glanced down only for a minute when Mia took his arm. Then his sharp gaze went right back into the eerie haze.

Ryo watched and listened silently until he couldn't take it anymore. "We're not playing its game. When it targeted us, it ended everything. That's what we're here for: to end everything."

The rest of the team watched on with wide eyes as Ryo expertly unsheathed both swords. Was he seriously going to...?

"We stay out in open land. No trees or anything else nearby to hide an attack. Rowen, clear the fog so we can see everything coming. Sage, Kento, you're with me," Ryo continued. "Rowen and Cye, you stay with the girls for now. We'll have to take the danger as it comes from here. Everyone stay alert, stay together, and look after each other."

Ryo looked to everyone in the group and they all nodded their agreement. Once they moved to an area where the warriors felt like nothing could sneak up on them, Strata went into action. Power hummed as a swirling gust of air scattered the fog on all sides. Even the ground at their feet was clear for several yards. That was the best they could do to prepare.

It was time to act.

Ryo approached the village, flanked on either side by Kento and Sage. The two remained a few paces to the rear for their own safety. They knew what was coming. Sage frowned slightly as he looked at the village one last time. It was a pity that this miraculous piece of history would be wiped off the face of the Earth. Too bad it was born of darker things when it would have otherwise been a fascinating find. He was sure Mia would agree, despite the fact that the place sent all his fine hairs on end. The village had to have been innocent at one time. And they would never really know exactly what happened here to have cursed it so.

If Ryo had any similar sentiments, it did not show in his actions. With a hard, determined look, he snapped the hilts of his swords together. The power of Wildfire grew around him, casting a near visible aura of energy, like the sun's corona during a total eclipse. But instead of jumping in the air, weapon over his head to smite his enemies, he let the power of the armor smolder deep and hot. He kept the energy low to the ground as fire burst from his weapon and sprayed far and angry against the cursed village, the dry and brittle grass eagerly passing the flames along.

The desiccated houses sucked in the fire with great whooshes of air and heat, and spread it far and wide. Soon, every structure was consumed by flame and burning fast. Burning as if it had been aching to burn for so long. The three warriors, Ryo still in the lead, watched the fire and waited.

Nothing happened. The inferno continued to burn, unattested and uncommented upon by anything supernatural.

Ryo grew impatient and glanced over to Kento.

"Level it. Turn everything upside down."

"Gladly," Hardrock responded with a crack of his knuckles.

The ground began to shudder.

"Huh? I didn't do anything yet!" Kento exclaimed.

The path winding down the middle of the village began to tear apart, fire roaring on either side as a crack opened up the earth. A gaping chasm soon split the town in half and began to swallow the very ground where the burning houses stood, and they disappeared into the opening maw. Ryo, Kento and Sage all backed away as the village was consumed from below into an ever-growing pit.

Then, from the mouth of the great hollow it rose. The legs came first; bony, jointed pillars that stuck out at all angles like deformed spider legs. Then the grotesque, clumped form, sickly as a massive tumor and as large as a building, slowly rose from the pit. Its body was covered in eyes and each eye beheld a different nightmare. The mouth was its own ragged maw of teeth spiraling deep, deep down the dark throat that seemed to lead down to Hell itself.

The Ronins all tensed, weapons at hand as the titanic creature loomed above them. They had fought monsters and giants before, and they would fight this, too. None of them, however, wanted to pay close attention to what eldritch nightmare each eye held in its pupil. The thing rose to its full height, and black tendrils waved around it, as if mimicking the rays of a cartoon sun.

The blackness rushed them and they readied themselves for the attack.

And then there was nothing.

No claws, no teeth. No massive creature to tear them asunder. The Ronins stood in the wide open field, the village still ruined, the ground still torn. But there was no danger to be found. The only odd thing they immediately noticed was that it was now night. The sun was gone and a full moon shone brightly over their surprised faces. Their armors were no longer there as they stood, dumbfounded, in their street clothes.

"Wh...what the hell just happened?" Rowen asked in a hollow voice.

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Kento said faintly.

"Have we... have we been here the entire day?" Cye asked. He felt exposed and wrong without Torrent on. "If it's this dark, we would have had to have been here about twelve hours."

Kento barked out a nervous laugh. "What? No. There's no way that we—"

Next to him, Ryo took a step forward and they both heard the wet, sticky squish of his foot in the mud. The second they heard that, the smell hit them.

Old blood and rotting meat. The smell of death.

Despite the only source of light being the pale moon, Ryo saw the blood so clearly. It was so red and there was _so much_ of it. As red as Robyn's hair, which lay in a clump among the wild grass.

Her hair? Ryo thought numbly. Just her hair? All he could see were the bloodied tendrils, a wig tossed on the ground without the person attached…as if she had been scalped. Then his puzzled brain began to build the picture of what else was around. Other pieces of her; torn, scattered. _Rotting_. Covered with flies and putrefying as if it had been there baking in the sun all day.

"Oh, God," Kento blurted, panic rising in his throat. His wide eyes were dark, pupils the size of a pin, as he stared and stared. "OhGodohGodohGod!" He was gulping for air.

Ryo couldn't breathe. He felt like the ground beneath him was flipping over and the urge to throw up was so huge he could taste the bile in his throat.

Where was her face? Ryo wondered. He could feel his limbs begin to tremble. He wanted to gather his sweet, kind, giving, courageous friend to him, but he couldn't find Robyn because she was everywhere all over she was under him and all over the grass in blood and ripped limbs and there a hand—

A rough shove pushed him out of the way before he could vomit. Cye dropped to his knees in the blood-soaked grass, his face white as a sheet, his body trembling.

"What happened?" he whispered weakly, trying, too, to make sense of what he was looking at. That what he was looking at was his beloved friend, his childhood best friend, in bloody pieces. "Where have we been all day?" Then his voice took on a panicked scream. "WHERE HAVE WE BEEN ALL DAY?!"

"Rowen, don't!" Sage cried as Rowen surged further into the clearing to another form on the ground. Halo did his best to try to stop him but Strata already saw and dear God, God his feet kept slipping in all the blood and Sage was chilled to the bone, as if the sun went out permanently inside him, while he left the pieces of one friend he'd sworn to protect and approached the body of a friend he barely knew, and another he failed.

Regan's body, unlike Robyn's, was still in one piece. But her chest and torso had been split wide open. Internal organs were dragged out of the gutted, blood-soaked body. Her beautiful face remained flawless, with just a few tiny flecks of blood on her cheeks and forehead. Empty, lifeless eyes, grayed from drying out for so long, stared at nothing at all.

Rowen felt cold. A horror as frigid as the arctic sucked all the warmth from his body and left him shivering. A walking void of hopelessness and misery. Everything was gone, just…like…that. When he wasn't looking, she died. Where was he when the woman he loved was being torn apart? Why didn't he hear her when she was screaming for her life? He wanted to die. He couldn't stand being alive another moment, facing how utterly he had failed to protect her. To go on living while she was… A wordless, strangled scream tore from his throat that ended in a quaking sob.

Sage was there to catch him as he lost all strength in his legs. He held his friend and made himself gaze at what they all failed to stop. _I danced with her hours ago_ , he thought dully. _I didn't get to dance with Robyn at all._

Kento fell to his hands and knees and wretched, great heaves seizing his stomach. He lacked the strength to even stand. It was too much to take. The moment he realized Robyn's blood lay just under his useless hands, the heel of his palms pressing into the muddy earth, his stomach heaved again. His great body shook, and distantly, he could hear Rowen's broken cries. He couldn't get up. He didn't want to get up.

There was no point.

For Cye, it was just beginning when he realized Mia was missing. Dear God, not her, too. This was bad enough. This was enough. He slipped, trying to stand, and screamed his wife's name. "Mia! Where are you!"

All five Ronins jumped to attention. _Mia_. She had to be alive somewhere. She had to be.

They found her body not too far away from the others, face down and still. Ryo reached out to her form, hand trembling, but stayed his touch when Cye approached. Already smeared in blood, he dropped slowly to his knees next to her lifeless form. For a moment, he dared to hope she was just unconscious. He gently rolled her over on his arms, and sucked in a horrified breath. Her front was completely mangled; flayed and broken. The death blow was the caving in of her skull. Sickly gray brain matter poked out between thin bits of shattered bone. Her eye socket had caved in, the eye ruptured and hanging by threads. The skin had been torn off from most of her face, exposing her skull.

It would haunt them all for the rest of their lives.

And then, much to their growing horror, the body sucked in a ragged, pained breath.

* * *

"The hell is this?" Regan demanded, pacing in agitation in front of a solid wall of blackness.

It reminded Mia of the "corridor of fog" she and the guys ran into all those years ago in Toyama while trying to find the gate to Talpa's castle. It was so thick and dark, it was impossible to see what lay inside more than a few inches. Mia still wasn't sure what had happened to bring them where they were now.

They all saw the monster rise from the ground. Rowen and Cye had rushed forward to both protect and back up their teammates. The absolutely terrifying monster surged forward and the next thing she knew, she, Regan, and Robyn were standing alone in front of a massive clump of black fog. It was as tall as a several-story building and could easily cover a few city blocks. What was inside was anyone's guess, but the girls all had a feeling the Ronins were in there somewhere.

Though everything was peaceful and calm outside the black fog, waiting for the guys to come out was proving to be a challenge.

Regan cupped her hands over her mouth as she screamed into the fog. "Rowen! Rowen, can you hear me?"

Only silence in return.

"We should go in," Regan announced.

"Regan, no," Robyn said, taking her arm. "We need to let the guys do their job. We can best help them by being safe out here."

"What if we're not safe out here?" Regan shot back. "We need to stay together. What if they need our help?"

"You mean _your_ help?" Robyn retorted with a raise of her brow. She and Mia certainly wouldn't be of any assistance against that thing they saw moments before.

Regan let out an aggravated sigh. "Fine, yes. My help. I feel like they're in trouble. I need to do something."

Mia and Robyn looked at each other. The desire to help was great, but they weren't so gung ho about running blindly into the blackness. Not after seeing the thing shrouded inside it. Even Kento only ventured into the last barrier of black fog inside the safety of a large van, and any lesser person would have died from that. The two had no armor and no powers. If there was something in there just waiting to attack, they would have no hope.

Regan understood this, but it did not deter her. "Look, I'm just going to run in and take a quick look around. I promise I won't leave you guys alone for more than a minute, okay? I said I'd protect you. I'm not going to leave you guys alone."

"Regan!" Robyn called to stop her, but the brunette had already jogged into the blackness. Robyn stepped forward, wondering if she should follow, when Regan suddenly burst from the fog, nearly running the redhead over.

"What the—" the tan-skinned woman demanded. She immediately tried again. Slower this time.

"Regan," Robyn sighed as her friend disappeared again. Within a few moments, Regan appeared out of the fog once more.

"Argh! What is going on?!" she demanded as she spun around and yelled at the blackness. "Let me in, you asshole!"

"What if...we all went in together?" Mia ventured. She was starting to worry about the boys as well. "We all hold hands and see if we can make it through."

"Good idea," Regan nodded, taking her hand. "Come on, Rob, let's do this."

Robyn was more hesitant than the others, but eventually sighed and took Regan's other hand.

"Wait, what if we get lost or separated?" Mia wondered.

"Then we meet up by the cars?" Robyn suggested with humor.

Regan sighed and shook her head. The three stepped into the blackness together side by side, holding hands. After a few moments, Regan and Mia stepped back out, hands still clasped.

"Regan! Where did Robyn go?" Mia gasped.

Regan growled in irritation. How did she lose Robyn while holding her hand?

"She...she made it in," Mia marveled.

Regan ran an agitated hand through her hair, mad at herself for not seeing this coming. "Of course she did."

* * *

Robyn felt it when Regan's hand melted through hers as if it had turned to vapor. Soon, she was standing alone in the clearing and it was no longer daytime. The night swirled around her and felt thick and tangible like water as she walked through it.

Her sneakers squished in the blood-soaked mud and she saw the body parts—her body parts. _Jesus!_ Rowen was crouched nearby, face bloodless as he stared in shock at the body in his arms. Regan's body. Robyn could smell the putrefying flesh and she quailed at the sight of her best friend's mutilated corpse.

Not her corpse. No. And not Robyn's…parts, either. But they didn't know that—hell, they could touch what wasn't even real!

"Rowen, it's not real." She reached for him and her hand went right through his shoulder. Were they the apparition here, or was she? She couldn't tell. But she couldn't stand the heartbreak on his face, hear his grief-stricken murmur as he spoke to what he thought was his dead lover.

The rest of the warriors were huddled around something else and Robyn followed when she heard Cye's hysterical voice.

"No! I can't!" he screamed.

His whole body was shaking, his throat so tight he could barely breathe as he saw the stilted rise and fall of the mangled chest. She was in pieces. His new bride was torn from her skin, her bones shattered. She was still _living_. But there was no saving her. Everything was falling apart so fast. They were married. He kissed her the night before, held her, vowed to spend their lives together. He just wanted to die. He couldn't live in this world if this is what it came down to. If she is what he had to sacrifice because of this godforsaken armor.

"Cye," Sage said softly, though his voice wasn't steady. He couldn't believe the words he was about to say. He hated himself for them, but he couldn't continue to look at his friend's broken body and watch her suffer, and watch Cye suffer along with her. "She's in pain. She needs you to end it. If you love her..."

He trailed off, jaw clenched, and Robyn felt sick from the show. The pure anguish on their faces. Oh _hell_ no! This sick, demented son of a bitch was not putting Cye through this. She was beginning to get a sense of this place somehow the longer she stayed there. The guys didn't appear to be wearing their armors, but Robyn felt them. Their energy was slowly being sucked away as the Ronins remained in despair and horror, completely distracted over what was going on.

Robyn didn't know how she was going to reach them, but she had to try. Just as she had done on a few scattered occasions when she had encountered a dark energy, she pushed her own energy out against it. This time, she did it has hard and as wide as she could. She knew she wasn't very strong, especially compared to this thing. She felt its power push back. But, just like when she walked through the fog, darkness could not hinder her. Her power met resistance and easily slipped through the cracks, causing the surrounding power to wobble and loosen its grip.

* * *

"Rowen!"

Rowen's head shot up, his arms still clutching the body. That was Regan's voice, sounding in the distance. What?

"Rowen, if you can hear me, don't give up!

"Cye!" Mia's voice joined the other, calling them. "Ryo! Guys! If you're lost, follow our voices! We're right outside!"

Cye felt like he was losing his mind when he heard it. His brain, his heart, couldn't handle this.

Then, Robyn's voice spoke to them, very clear and very near: "It's not real. We're all fine. It wants you to give up. Don't let it drain you! Fight it!"

The abject grief and devastation that had been eating Cye alive suddenly turned and roiled inside him. It twisted into a sticky rage at having been forced to wallow in the gravity of his worst nightmare. He slowly rose, jaw clenched, as his previous grief turned into rage. Energy swirled around him and Torrent's full armor manifested on his body once more.

"I'm going to kill it!" he snarled.

The emotion ignited like a fire through them all, the rage catching and scorching as each armor glowed to life and returned to its bearer. They could feel the thing inside them like an IV, siphoning their energy from them. But now, with full awareness and their armors, that connection was sliced with a burst of bright power. And the globe around them shattered.

With the lie now banished, the Ronins found themselves in their true situation. All five lay on the ground, covered with a black substance that grew like roots around them and snuck into the cracks of their armor. The black vines had slithered to their exposed necks, pierced the flesh and tunneled into their veins. The root-like appendages were attached to the hulking monster looming above them all as it fattened itself on their fear and drained all their energy. Try as they might to break free, they were held too tight, too weakened. Every movement felt like their nerves were being tugged out of their skin.

"Rowen!" Regan screamed.

"Cye! Ryo! Guys!" Mia cried, lurching toward them.

The response from the five warriors was instantaneous. "No! Stop! Stay away!" They all cried. Each could still see their bodies, bloody and lifeless on the ground. It was still possible that those visions were a shadow of things to come. Not a single one of them was willing to be saved if that nightmare was any sort of possibility.

"Stay back! I mean it!" Ryo barked angrily above the pleas of the others.

"Regan, if you come over here, I swear I will never talk to you again," Rowen growled.

This stayed the girls in their tracks for a moment as they tried to figure out what to do next.

"Mia," Regan said lowly, "if I could free any one of them, which one would have the best chance of beating that thing?"

Mia wanted to say Cye. She wanted her husband out of there so bad. They had just started their new life together. She couldn't stand the thought of losing him now.

"Ryo," she choked out, tears clogging her throat. "If you can get anyone out, get Ryo."

With a swallow and a nod, Regan stilled to concentrate, focusing on Wildfire, trying desperately to block out her boyfriend's rigid, pained form. She was uncomfortable using her powers on a living thing. As rattled as she was, she feared she did not have the control to be able to tell when she was holding a human being too tight. It would be so easy to squeeze until bones broke this distracted. But they were running out of options. As carefully as she could, she wrapped her power around Ryo's form with the intent to pull him free and snap the tendrils' connections.

Ryo's eyes widened at the sudden sensation of being grabbed by an invisible force. It lifted him and then tugged, like trying to pluck a piece of fruit from a branch. He gave a high pitched cry of pain when the act of trying to pull him from the roots made him feel like someone was trying to pull out his entire network of veins through his skin.

Regan immediately let go of him as Mia gripped her arm. That wasn't going to work. The tendrils were in too deep, and if she snapped them off to try to free him, she would be leaving that vile stuff in his body. Maybe if she got closer she could figure out something else.

Practically forgotten, the creature turned its attention to the two nearby women. Their meddling would not go unpunished. The moment the monster moved toward them, the Ronins immediately began screaming for them to run. Suddenly they realized the nightmare they had lived had every possibility of becoming real. And to their horror, the girls were standing their ground. Mia had stepped behind Regan and the brunette looked like she had every intention of attempting to take on the behemoth herself. The warriors knew Regan's powers were impressive, but also had their limits. A burst of intense power in a very short amount of time and then she would be spent and completely helpless.

Regan felt Mia's fingers curl into the back of her shirt. Blindly, she reached behind her to hold on to Mia, to comfort and to keep her safely behind her.

"Be careful," Mia said, her voice trembling, but strong.

"I will. This will all be over soon." A wave of déjà vu came over Regan. This was not the first time she had adopted this stance, or spoke those words. And as terrified as she was, she was going to do as much damage to this son of a bitch as she possibly could before the end came. Before it could ever touch Mia or Robyn or the guys.

Be brave, her father once said to her, in the days before he died. It's time to be brave.

 _I can be brave for them_ , she thought, gathering her energy to her for one last defense. A tendril reached for them and she reached out with her power to smack it away.

As the others continued to scream for the girls to run, Cye was frozen, staring wide-eyed at his wife. Mia was going to die. No amount of pleas or threats was going to get her to leave them. As painful as it was, Cye thrashed weakly against his bindings. His body was drained, his armor was drained. He had no energy left. What was the point of being a Ronin Warrior if he couldn't save the people he cherished the most?

 _Torrent,_ he pleaded internally. _Take the last of my energy, take my life if it will help, just save her. Please! I love her._ We _love her. Don't let her die!_

Through the waves of panic and desperation, he felt it—emotion that wasn't his, but so much like his own. Torrent? A fierce, protective force surged to the forefront and Cye felt his kanji appear on his forehead. It burned like fire, like it was taking the last of his reserves, and he gave it all up to that feeling. Anything to protect those he vowed to keep safe until his last breath.

The armor of Torrent glowed bright in the shadows, and the others followed as a chain reaction of power coursed through the bond they all shared. Separately, none of them had enough power for a full attack, but together they were stronger.

The tiny tendrils that pierced Cye's body began to melt away as Torrent engulfed him with energy so bright it was blinding. Mia and Regan stood in awe as the light from the armors shone bright as day. All five bodies were swallowed by it, turning into orbs of colored light. Even the creature stepped back in confusion as the orbs lifted from the ground and swirled around it. Faster and faster they churned and dove, darting this way and that.

Halo grazed the monster first, cutting through its flesh like a laser beam and the thing screamed. It was such a shrill, painful sound, Mia and Regan had to cover their ears. Wildfire dove in next, slicing at the creature's other side. The others followed suit, buzzing in close, cutting through its body, rupturing the eyes. The creature screamed again and stumbled back, falling into the massive chasm from which it came. The armors followed it, racing into the creature's mouth and erupting into an explosion of light and power.

Mia and Regan hunkered down as their senses were bombarded with so much power, they were momentarily blind and deaf. The wind picked up, nearly knocking them off their feet and searing them with its wrath. They clasped each other like little girls in the face of a tornado. For several moments, the power beat against them. And then, all was quiet.

It was dark now, a full moon out. The girls hardly noticed as they ran to the edge of the crater. They half expected to see a bottomless pit leading down to the depths of Hell itself. Instead, it was merely a few dozen feet down with five very wiped out Ronins in subarmor at the bottom.

"Guys!" Mia called breathlessly. Her chest hurt so much it was hard to raise her voice. They were all still alive. Everything was going to be alright. "Everyone okay?"

Kento was the first to glance up her way. Everything hurt, like his nerve endings were frayed at the edges. The armors were spent, all his energy was gone. And he had just had the scare of his life. He wanted to throw up again.

"Yeah, we're fine," he called in a shaky voice.

To his side he heard Ryo give a soft sound of distress before he let out a shaky breath and fell back on his backside, still breathing hard.

"Just give us a minute."

"Rowen?" Regan called.

"Don't come down!" Strata shot back, a little harsher than he meant to. His insides were quaking. "We'll come up to you. Just... just wait a minute."

He looked around at his team. They needed several minutes. Sage was turned away slightly, one hand over his face as blood seeped through his shaking white armored fingers. His eyes were closed as he attempted to collect himself. It was like the creature had started sucking out their very bodies after it had finished with their energy. He felt thin as paper, like his molecules could barely hold his form together.

"Sage."

Halo brushed Strata off and wiped his bleeding nose with the back of his hand. "I'm fine."

"Are we fine?" Ryo rasped. His voice sounded like he had been screaming for hours. He hurt, he felt sick. They all did.

Cye plodded over and dropped heavily on the ground beside him. As he put one arm over Wildfire he said, "We will be fine," and smiled up at his wife, who looked very concerned but was _alive_ and unhurt. He could suffer through a little pain and exhaustion in exchange for that. For one brief second, the image of her mutilated body ripped into his thoughts and he nearly sobbed at the sudden shock of it. Instead, he kept staring at his wife and eventually waved to her to help clear the worried look from her face.

Like a limb that had previously been asleep, the physical pain began to subside, the nausea grounding itself for now. The mental wounds, however, would still need more time. As the guys climbed out of the crater, Regan and Mia were there to greet them and help pull them to their feet.

Regan nearly knocked Rowen down in a massive hug as he appeared over the edge. She felt his whole body tremble as he tucked her into his embrace and held her back tightly.

"You okay, tough guy?" she asked softly.

"Better now," he whispered into her hair.

"Let's get you guys home," Mia said, an arm around her husband's waist. "Some food and sleep will do you good."

"How is it even night time right now?" Sage asked. His face was still smudged in dried blood and he had given up on trying to wipe it off with his armored hands.

Mia pulled out her cell. "I don't know how it happened, but my phone says it's nearly 10 p.m. Somehow we've jumped ahead in time about twelve hours. That's...impossible."

Ryo visibly shuddered as he hugged himself. _Where have we been all day?_ Cye's panicked scream still rattled around in his head. That old terror threatened to roil his stomach when they thought they had just disappeared while the girls had all died brutal deaths. He couldn't take the memory anymore. "Can we just get out of here?"

"Hey, uh...where's Robyn?" Kento suddenly asked.

Everyone stopped. Stared. Mentally counted the members of the group.

"She...she's not with you?" Regan asked with a tight voice.

"Why would she be with us?" Kento shot back.

"Because she made it in to go after you guys. ….You didn't see her at all?"

"I heard her voice," Rowen recalled, arms still loosely at her waist. "She told us everything we saw wasn't real...she tried to get us to wake up. But we never saw her."

Regan pushed him away as her breathing became erratic. She was slowly starting to hyperventilate. No, no, no, this wasn't happening. "What do you mean you didn't... where is she? Robyn!" She immediately began calling her friend's name into the night, but there was nowhere to look. The village was gone. Everything was completely leveled and flat. It was easy to see that they were the only people around.

Cye looked like he was nearly going to faint from the news and Mia had to use two arms to keep him standing.

"Wait, remember what she said? If we get separated, she said to meet by the cars."

Regan stopped calling Robyn's name to look at Mia, eyes wide with disbelief at such a crazy idea, then she gazed around the landscape. Robyn was clearly not here. Though her powers didn't come with empathic abilities, Regan always believed if anything happened to Robyn, she'd know it. There would be a deep, empty hole in her nothing could fill. And right now, she still felt like she had her best friend. There was no way Robyn could be gone.

"I'm going to the cars," she announced as she started off.

"Wait, wait," Rowen called, grabbing her elbow. "Slow down. We're all coming."

"And if we don't find her there?" Sage asked from the back of the group. They were all exhausted. If they managed to climb down the mountain, there would be no going back up.

Regan gave them all a stern look. "She's there."

Rowen moved closer and brushed the wind-swept hair from her face. "Okay, baby. I trust you."

* * *

The group didn't move nearly as fast as they wanted to. In top form, the Ronins would have just grabbed the girls and rebounded down the mountainside, getting them back to the parking lot in a matter of minutes. But as much as they refused to admit it out loud, the Ronins were in bad shape. The battle had left them weak, unwell, and in pain. They pushed forward as much as they could, but it took nearly another hour before the old dilapidated hotel came into view.

Regan broke from the pack before Rowen could stop her. She stumbled and raced down the trail, through the old gate, and scrambled over the broken wall. She stopped on the other side, panting hard when she saw the side view silhouette of the cars. Everything looked the same. The place appeared to be deserted and her heart dropped.

Pulse racing, she walked quickly to the cars, praying fervently over and over in her head. God, please let her be here. Please don't do this. She nearly lost hope until she noticed a form on the ground in the shadows between the two vehicles. A female sat cross-legged on the ground, back leaning against Sage's car. The person was so still, they seemed more like an inanimate object.

"Oh my God, Robyn!" Regan rushed to her, nearly falling on top of the redhead. Only on physical contact did Robyn come to life and respond to her friend's presence.

"Oh, hey Regan," she laughed at the very enthusiastic hug.

"You scared the hell out of me, you brat!" Regan laughed back. "How did you get all the way back here?"

Robyn looked genuinely confused. "What do you mean back here?"

By then, the others had caught up and there was a flurry of surprised cries of happiness at seeing the redhead alive and well. She got to her feet as Cye stumbled for her and caught him with a grunt. He squeezed the breath out of her. A few of the others all got in on the group hug. Just being near them, Robyn could see and feel that they were not well.

"Oh no, are you guys okay?" she asked, cradling Cye's face.

He gave a tired smile. "We'll be okay."

"Why did you go all the way back here by yourself?" Ryo asked.

Robyn blinked at him. "I don't know what you mean."

Sage retrieved something that fell on the ground when Robyn stood up. "What's this?"

Robyn glanced over and brightened. "My swimming suit!"

* * *

Robyn had no recollection of what happened between the fight and being found in the parking lot. She didn't remember how or when she came down off the mountain and certainly didn't recall going back into the hotel to retrieve her long lost bathing suit. It was very eerie, but nothing that dwelling on it would change.

Right then, the main order of business was to get the Ronins in the cars and get them off this godforsaken mountain. Mia drove her car with Cye in the passenger seat, Ryo and Sage in the back. Robyn insisted that she was completely fine and drove Sage's car. Kento sat in the passenger seat so Rowen and Regan could snuggle in the back.

Both vehicles were dead silent as they made their way carefully down the mountain roads. It was as if the drivers and everyone on board still expected to see some sort of creature jump out of the dark woods at anytime.

When they reached the town in the foothills of the mountain, Mia suggested stopping for food. None of the Ronins wanted anything, but Mia grabbed some fast food anyway. The smell quickly kick started their appetites and the Ronins ate ravenously. A few more miles down the road, however, they suddenly had to stop as Ryo stumbled out of the car and threw up by the side of the road. As everyone waited for him to feel well enough to get back in the car, Robyn and Mia stood together to converse and decided they needed to get the guys to bed, and soon. Driving them several more hours before they could rest at the mansion wasn't doing them any favors.

Finding a motel with enough open vacancies for their group this late was a bit of a challenge, and required a few different stops on their way back to Toyama before they happened upon one with three rooms available. It was basic and cheap, but it had an online presence and plenty of cars in the parking lot. That alone gave them all a great measure of comfort.

It still chilled them, however, to cross such an empty lobby to retrieve their room keys. The young, smiling Japanese girl with her iPad lying face down on the counter next to her helped. It was blessedly normal. They were only able to get one room with two beds. The rooms were small and efficient, but clean and quiet. When it came to separating for the night, everyone paired off naturally.

Regan was practically steering Rowen into their room. At the door right next to theirs, Robyn stood as she watched Ryo, Sage and Kento shuffling in, as if she were counting them off and making sure they got in okay.

"Look at you, piling hot guys into your room," Regan said with a weak attempt at humor.

"You could always trade me," she bantered back.

Regan hugged Rowen from behind, pressing her cheek into his back. "Tempting, but I'm more for some one-on-one time tonight." The two girls smiled before Regan shut the door behind herself and Rowen.

Robyn was about to turn in, too, when Cye approached and wrapped her in a hug that she gladly returned. He held her for a moment as Mia waited in the doorway of the room directly across the hall from them. Robyn let him take his time. He seemed to need it.

"I'm so sorry about your wedding, about everything," Robyn whispered into his shoulder.

"Don't be," he murmured back. "The best wedding gift I could ever get is all of you alive and well."

Robyn pulled back and cupped his face. "Everything will be better in the morning. Go let your lovely new wife take care of you and get some rest."

* * *

As soon as the door shut behind them, Mia turned to her husband and brushed his freshly cut, sweat-damped hair away from his face. "Let's get you cleaned up, honey," she said, her voice so kind that it brought tears to his eyes. All he could do was nod.

She ran a bath for them and helped him undress, because suddenly his fingers were trembling just a little too much and refused to work right. His body still ached and twinged from those vines piercing his skin and draining him. He was a few shaky steps from having his strings cut and collapsing like a marionette. Cye didn't protest when Mia helped him maneuver into the tub and then, in a role reversal from earlier that summer, Mia held him in the water. They didn't move, and she didn't say anything, and Cye was relieved not to voice the hell he witnessed. The broken, mangled, still-living body of his wife, her skin torn from—

 _No_. Cye closed his eyes and shuddered. Mia's arms tightened around him and he found her hands and squeezed. He let his head fall back to her shoulder as he took deep breaths. "I love you," he murmured. She kissed his temple and echoed it back to him.

Once the water began to cool they bathed, then retreated to bed, wrapped up in each other. Cye soothed himself as he ran his fingers through her long hair and up and down her back. He drifted off too easy from his fatigue while Mia remained wide awake. Her body was still trying to decide whether those lost hours meant that she was ready to sleep. Had they jumped through time? Or had everything slowed to such a crawl that in a blink, the Ronins had had their energy drained from them for hours? The latter seemed more likely. They were all so exhausted and threadbare. It was hard to imagine this was the result of being under the creature's influence for only a handful of minutes.

As Mia mulled it over, she felt Cye's body tense and saw his brow furrow as a nightmare settled over him like a pall. Mia whispered softly in his ear, hoping to stave it off, but she could see it growing in intensity; he moaned with distress, and his fingers gripped her waist tightly. When his moans became coherent—"No, no, god, please, I can't—" Mia called his name loudly, then louder.

Cye gradually woke, but not before his shoulders shook and tears leaked from his squeezed shut eyes. By the time he was fully conscious, deep sobs wracked him; a boy wrestling with a night terror. Heartbroken, Mia stroked his hair and rocked him as he squeezed her tight and cried into her neck.

"I'm sorry," he choked out.

"Cye, honey, you don't have to be sorry." Mia swallowed hard against her own tears. God, what had happened to him while he was in there? "Shh, it's over. It's just a nightmare." She rubbed his chest gently, ran her fingers through his hair. "It's just bad dreams. Everyone's fine and nothing can hurt us, okay? I won't let it."

Cye sucked in a deep breath and then let it out slowly, taking in the reality of the room and his wife. It was so hard not to go back to those dark thoughts. It was as if the scene of her body was tattooed on the back of his eyelids.

"Don't go back there," Mia said, as if reading his thoughts. She stroked her fingers down the side of his face. "Stay with me. Think of going to Paris. Think of last summer when you took me boating on the ocean. Think of how we would swim naked together in the lake. Think of how fun it's going to be, our first Christmas together, married, this winter. Don't go back to that dark place. I'm not there, I was never there. Stay with _me_."

Cye took her hand in his and pressed it to his lips. The dark tendrils of nightmares were slowly losing their hold as long as Mia was there to keep them at bay. "With you, always."

* * *

Rowen and Regan showered together to both save time and just be near each other. They did nothing but get clean, although Rowen kept running his hands over her stomach for reasons she couldn't fathom. It seemed to comfort him. Regan washed his hair, and he relished the sensation of her fingernails lightly scratching his scalp as she worked the shampoo in and rinsed it out.

Halfway through, the heat became too much for him, and a wave of nausea and lightheadedness rolled through him. He lunged for the toilet and weakly threw up what little he ate while he shivered and dripped water onto the bath mat.

Regan got out and stayed with him, murmuring soothing nonsense, pressed against his back as he shook and dry heaved. She draped a towel over him and fetched him some water. When he was able to stand, he sat heavily on the toilet lid and gently stayed her hand from drying his hair.

"Go dry your hair, I'll be fine," he said, his voice strained. "I just need a few minutes."

She caressed the side of his face, then kissed his forehead. "Okay, baby."

After the door closed and the growl of the hair dryer sounded from the room, Strata dropped his head in his hands and shook, his body reacting to whatever the fuck that creature did to them, both physically and mentally. She's fine, he told himself, scrubbing his hands over his face. She's right in the other room, and that very solid body you held that looked like her was not her. The creature is dead, the monsters are never coming back, and you can go on with your life.

He said it to himself like a mantra until the shaking stopped, and then slowly rose, brushed his teeth with one of the emergency kits they bought from their quick store run. He came out and found Regan seated on the bed, wrapped in a towel, and texting someone; presumably her brother. When she saw him, she indicated for him to sit down on the floor. The simple act of his girlfriend running her fingers through his hair as she dried it brought a lump to his throat.

When they went to bed, neither bothered with clothes. After the day they just had, both preferred to sleep skin-to-skin, craving each other's touch. Rowen lay there wide awake in the dark, listening to the sound of her breathing, the beat of her heart. He was so brutally tired, but every time his eyes slid shut, flashes of that goddamn bloody field, her sightless, dull eyes, imprinted on his brain like the aftermath of a camera flash. Every time he tensed from it, Regan stroked his chest soothingly, or gently rubbed her foot against his calf.

His hands idly wandered her back until his fingers found the raised edges of the scars on her lower back. He traced them, painfully aware that he still only had a vague idea of what caused them. Something had tried to kill her before, and she had survived. He was overcome with the need to know what it was, and how she lived through it. And he wanted to hear her low, contralto voice speaking to him. Her voice centered him.

"What did this to you?" he asked quietly, tracing the scars again.

Regan didn't say anything for a long moment. "Baby, I don't think now is a good time—"

"I haven't asked," he said roughly, voice raw and pleading. "I've left it alone. But I want to hear all of it. I should have told you before today, I should have told you weeks ago, but I love you _so much_. There's nothing you could say that would scare me off. Just talk to me."

Regan's heart tumbled off a cliff of immeasurable heights at hearing those words again. She kissed his throat. "I know," she said, her voice hitching. "You told me at the wedding."

Rowen blinked up at the ceiling, then down at her. "I did?"

She laughed a little, eyes misty. "Yeah, you goof. Right before you went off to go be a hero. I'm the one who was an idiot today and didn't tell you that I love you, too." Tears blurred her vision. "I love you," she whispered again, then kissed him. His arms tightened around her like steel bands.

He basked in those words for long minutes. He felt like he already knew it, but hearing it was something entirely different. And then: "That doesn't get you out of telling me."

She laughed again, wiped her eyes, and then dropped her head on his chest. A deep sigh escaped her. "It's not a happy story. I'm just worried it'll make you feel worse."

Rowen stroked her hair as he said, "I have it on good authority that it has a happy ending."

"…corny," she whispered, then squirmed when he tickled her side. He let her gather her thoughts, then listened. "Robyn and I didn't meet in school. I've never even been to high school. I had a…tutor, of sorts."

"Where were you?"

"Upstate New York. When my powers manifested…people came. We lived in Chicago at the time. I couldn't control some of the energy outbursts that happened in public, and it didn't escape notice. They came to my mother. Said that they could help me. I was too dangerous to be in school, and they could help me learn to control it. She didn't know what to do with me, so she agreed to let them take me. And I believed them. They made it sound like a temporary thing. Like a summer camp for mutants." She laughed softly at herself. "Visions of Xavier's School for Gifted Children danced in my head. This was before…I don't think I've mentioned it, but my brother is gifted, too. His actually manifested around the same time as mine, but he wasn't aware of it until after I went away. He's an empath. They didn't know about him."

Rowen could already see where this was going, and he could feel the anger and heartbreak stirring in his gut. "They didn't let you go home, did they?"

"No," she whispered. "They had other plans. And I…couldn't go home. I had been declared "unfit" and officially institutionalized. My brother wasn't allowed to come see me, and he didn't know where I was. It was a fully functioning research hospital, but I was kept away from the regular patients. My mother told everyone I was off at boarding school."

"How old were you?"

"I'd just turned thirteen. I was there for…four years, five months."

He could hear it in her voice as she told him, haltingly, some of the horrors of her captive stay. The shame of being put away, the dehumanizing experiments and treatment. They isolated her; feared her; threatened the life of her twin if she fled. He could hear, too, that she had believed them when they told her she was too dangerous to be around normal people. He wanted to hurt every one of them for the pain he heard in her voice. No; he wanted to kill because of it. He ached for that young, scared Regan, didn't have the adequate words to express how sorry and furious he was that this happened to her. He remembered when Sage was taken in New York, and imagined those weeks stretched out for four and a half years. Strata held her tighter and kissed the crown of her head.

The teenager she described did not resemble the happy, open, and funny woman he knew now. "I would have never known," he said unsteadily.

"Good," she said lightly. "I wasn't like this then. When Robyn and I met, I was a shell of a person. I didn't even talk to her. I didn't want friends. Everything hurt too much. But she was so kind, and she treated me like a person. That meant so much to me."

"How did she get there?"

"Jason and his buddies." Regan's voice changed, deepened with bad feelings. "You know about that, right?"

"Oh, yes."

"After she escaped from them, the foster system picked her back up, but she was traumatized and injured from the assault. I guess she was a little too honest about what happened, and with her mother's history of schizophrenia—"

"Shit."

"Yeah. They thought she was exhibiting early onset. So they sent her to the children's ward of my hospital. I was amazed they let someone visit me, but my psychologist—they actually gave me one of those, to make sure I wouldn't flip out and kill everyone—put her foot down on my constant seclusion. It wasn't healthy."

"No shit," Rowen said angrily.

Regan smiled a little. "So they let her visit me. When she finally told me what happened, I didn't know what to believe at first. I didn't think she was lying, but demons were a whole other realm, you know? I thought, maybe her mind switched the script to help her cope with what really happened. But then they came."

Rowen held his breath, waited for her to continue. She was holding him tighter now, her head buried in his chest.

"It was a Tuesday. Late. I woke up because I felt some kind of energy _press_ against me. It felt like touching an oil slick. They had done something to everyone there, put them to sleep like something out of Sleeping Beauty, when the whole castle fell under the spell…except Robyn, and except me, because of my own defenses. They came for her, and I would not let them have her."

"You _fought_ them?" Rowen recalled the hellish night where Cye almost died and Nago and his cult rained terror down on the Ronins. She took them on _by herself?_

"I wasn't going to let them take Robyn or hurt anyone in the hospital, not when I could do something about it. I was terrified, naturally, so I used all that anger and hatred I'd built up over the years to get through the night. The scars…Jason came for her. He changed into this hellhound type creature. I was taking Robyn to another part of the hospital that had closed for the night, so no one would be around, and I felt him rush up from another hall—too late. I had enough time to push Robyn out of the way, but when he crashed through the glass, he clipped me, sent me flying."

Rowen hissed in sympathy.

"Jesus, Rowen, I had never been so scared in all my life. My back was on fire, I was exhausted, and all I wanted to do was protect my new friend. I would sooner die than live knowing I failed her."

He heard his own thoughts echoed back to him as he had held her dead body hours ago. He knew that feeling all too well.

"At first, he just wiped the floor with me. I was still so bad at using my powers. I didn't know what I was doing. And they were going to take her away from me and do God knows what." Regan closed her eyes as she remembered Robyn being dragged down the hall. Her horrified screams. "Somehow, from some reserve I didn't know I had—it happened so fast—I managed to bury him under three floors of concrete." She paused for a beat. "I couldn't really finish it; I couldn't kill them. I couldn't make everyone _right_ , that I was this dangerous killer, but I was willing to make an exception for this guy. But the police came, and we fled. Stole a car to get into town. I was barely conscious. I gave Robyn the address of a doctor we could trust—my doctor, the one who created the medication I take. I can't even believe I remembered his address, I'd only been there once. He's a good man; he snuck me out so I could have dinner with him and his wife the year before, like a normal kid. They ended up firing him over that. I don't remember arriving at the house; I had a few seizures, slept for days. He helped us find my brother and stay off the grid while they looked for us. And then we hid for a long while, even after Robyn left for Japan. I don't think her shitty boyfriend ever found her. I took great pleasure in kicking Jason's ass."

Rowen took in a careful breath. "They did find her. And I think Robyn didn't tell you because she didn't want to give away our own secrets."

Regan lifted her head to stare at her boyfriend, face pale in the wan moonlight, eyes wide. "They came for her again? In Japan?"

"It took them almost a year. But we finished it. And don't." He could see the guilt and self-loathing fill her eyes, for not finishing it herself. "Regan, you did not fail her. You were _seventeen_ , and no one could ever ask you to kill human beings. We didn't, either; Nago killed them. There were five of us, and you took them on all by yourself. That is the bravest thing I have ever heard. I'm so fucking proud of you."

And as horrifying as it was that she had to fight for her life against such evil in the past, it relieved him to know that she held her own, and she could do it again. It would take him a while to unpack all of his feelings regarding what she went through, but tonight wasn't the night to interrogate her. But now he knew what she had been so afraid to tell him.

"I love you," he repeated, and kissed her soundly. "You're brave, and kind, and you wanted to save people even after they hurt you. You didn't let what they did break you or turn you into what you never wanted to be."

"Almost," she said, her voice wavering.

"You didn't," he said gently. "Rae, are they after you now?"

"No. But I never really know if that will change. I just…try to stay vigilant and one step ahead."

He would never let it happen. No one was taking her away from him. Oddly enough, he felt a nudge from Strata, too; a gentle surge of energy that seemed to indicate agreement.

"Can we…can we stop now?"

Rowen agreed, glad that he could forget about his shit show of a day to soothe Regan, rolling them over so they were on their sides facing each other, legs intertwined. They comforted each other with soft, languid kisses.

 _Don't leave me_ , he thought desperately as he drifted off, holding her tight. He knew nightmares would come for him and there was nothing he could do to stop it, but at least she would be here when he woke. _I don't know how to keep you from leaving me._

* * *

Robyn sat on the edge of the bed, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible as she blindly watched the flickering screen of the TV, the sound set on low. The three warriors rooming with her shuffled around the room in states of agitation, fatigue, and restlessness. They were all in and out of the bathroom constantly, trying to find some physical comfort and peace before settling to bed.

As usual, Sage tried to mother Ryo into making sure he took care of himself. This of course stemmed from Ryo using Inferno and leaving him far more drained and weaker than the others when the battle was done. This time was not the case. None of them had enough energy left to form Inferno and they all suffered equally from the fight. That still didn't stop Sage from landing in his familiar role.

He made Ryo shower first and then put him directly to bed before taking care of himself. Robyn left during the showers to wander down to the snack machines to buy some ginger ale and bottled water for them. She dawdled about on her errand, in no hurry to get back to give them some privacy to take care of personal business. Besides, the hotel was peaceful and quiet here in the middle of the night. She looked out at the city from the third story walkway and thought of all the people who had no idea what just happened tonight. What would it be like to be one of them?

"Robyn."

She glanced over to see Sage coming up after her. Dressed in the same clothes he came in, his hair was damp from his shower. He looked a little green around the gills and Robyn wondered why the hell he thought he needed to go wander the halls in this condition.

"We were wondering why you hadn't come back."

"Oh, I was just trying to give you guys some time to wind down and shower and stuff without a girl making things awkward. I was going to come back soon."

"I think we would all be doing better if you were with us," Sage gently told her.

Robyn blinked at him, her face feeling a little warm.

"Ryo was threatening to get out of bed to come after you. We were all getting agitated when you didn't return quickly."

Robyn then smiled at him. She got it, she understood. "Right. Sorry I took too long. I should have come right back."

Sage swayed a little, one hand at his temple. Robyn shifted all her drinks to one arm and with the other, hugged his waist to steady him. "Come on. You should be in bed, too."

Kento was just stepping out of the shower when they returned. Hardrock snagged a water from her and drank most of the bottle in big gulps. When Ryo sat up in bed to greet them, Robyn made him take a few sips of ginger ale before lying back down. Sage and Kento were soon ordered to bed as well.

Without speaking to decide sleeping arrangements, Sage wandered to the other side of Ryo's bed and slowly, painfully pulled his long limbs under the covers with a heavy sigh. Ryo looked a little disappointed when Robyn sat on the other bed with Kento, but didn't say anything about it.

"Let's hit the hay, babe. I'm beat," Kento said as he slid into bed.

Robyn sat down on the opposite side of the bed and turned off the lamp. In the darkness she sat there, her feet still dangling off the edge. She didn't want to sleep in her jeans and bra, but she wasn't comfortable going to bed in just a shirt and panties, either.

"You getting in bed?" Kento asked.

"I'm not tired," she replied, and she wasn't. She wasn't sick and exhausted like the guys were. She didn't feel like she had actually been awake the entire day. So instead, she propped up her pillow against the headboard and leaned against it. "I'm going to stay up for a little bit and keep an eye on you guys. Maybe I'll get drowsy later."

There was a brief span of silence until Kento spoke again. "Hey Rob? Do you remember anything about how you got back to the parking lot? Or going back into that old hotel?"

She thought about it and then shrugged. "Not really. I just remember Rae pouncing me by the cars."

"That doesn't scare you?"

"I don't know. I guess if I didn't get hurt. Though I don't know why I wasn't hurt. I mean, I was right in there with you guys and that monster. I also remember trying to get you guys to wake up; let you know it was all fake."

"So you saw." That came from Ryo.

"I did. It was gross. I can't even imagine what that would feel like to think it was real. I'm sorry it happened to you guys. I wish I could make it better somehow."

There was another span of silence.

"You are the nicest girl I have ever met," Kento said, a lull of fatigue in his voice.

Robyn blinked his direction in the darkness. "Me?"

"Mmhm. You've seen all the women in my family: brash and loud. So are usually the girls I date."

"And we've seen how that turned out," Sage mumbled from his side of the room.

Robyn made a quiet laughing sound out of her nose. "Well, when we get back home you can work on dating nicer girls," she joked. "For now, just sleep. Everyone's safe and you guys need to rest now."

Kento sighed heavily and rolled over on his side so he faced her. It made him oddly feel safer to have his friend close by, where he could also easily check on her.

Ryo was the first to fall asleep, although it didn't look restful; a touch of a frown marred his brow as he slept. Sage lay on his side, facing the window so he could see everyone else in the room. He managed a hazy limbo-like state, one foot in a dream quickly turning dark, the other grounding him in the blue light of the moon shining through a crack in the curtain.

Kento shifted more than once in his attempt to sleep, and eventually ended up on his back facing the ceiling.

"Bed's a little uncomfortable, huh," Robyn said softly, wrinkling her nose cutely.

He couldn't help but smile back. God damn, it was still so good to see her alive and whole and untouched by the horror show he lived in for a few hours. "I've slept in worse places," he answered. And added silently, _we all have_. But what went down today…it felt worse than anything they had lived through.

She reached over and brushed some hair from his forehead. "Try to sleep."

Kento draped a heavy arm over his eyes and let out a heavy, slow breath. Then he was still.

Robyn had barely drifted off in her own quiet thoughts before the first noise of discomfort jarred her awake. She looked up; Kento had fallen asleep. Glancing over, she saw Ryo clutching the sheets in a death grip, his hands shaking. The redhead slipped over and crouched down by him, closing her hands over his to loosen his grip.

"Shhh," she whispered. "Ryo, it's okay." Wildfire's breathing grew more erratic; he was beginning to squirm. Robyn laid a hand on his brow and spoke in his ear until his eyes shot open and his arms reached out, instantly gripping her sides almost painfully.

"Easy, easy," Robyn said. Her heart hurt when a gasp that ended on a sob escaped him as he sat up. She sat in the extra bed space and held his shaking body.

"It wasn't real," he rasped out.

"No," she agreed. "It lied."

"It felt so real." A hard shudder worked through him. "I never…Robyn, I…"

"I know. It sucked," Robyn shushed, rubbing his back as she felt tears leak onto her shoulder, his still-damp hair brushing coolly against her skin. His loud, unsteady breathing quieted after a time, his grip loosened. She helped ease him back down, and before his head even hit the pillow he was nodding off. She pulled the sheet up over him, and then looked to check on Sage. He wasn't there. He must have gotten up while she was occupied.

But the bathroom light was on underneath the door. The toilet flushed, and then the blond Ronin emerged, deathly pale and sporting the air of a stomach flu patient. Robyn fetched him water, and he nodded his thanks as he sat down heavily, unwilling to lie back down.

"Dawn will come before you know it," she said, both as a reminder of the light his soul craved and a warning that opportunities for sleep were dwindling.

"I welcome it," he replied. In a rare gesture of vulnerability, Halo dropped his head in his hands and rubbed his face. Robyn rubbed his back, and he let her, grateful for the comforting touch of a friend. Before she coaxed him into lying down again, Sage kissed her forehead in wordless thanks, then quietly reminded her to sleep, too.

That time, Robyn did lie down on top of the covers. She dozed maybe twenty minutes before Kento left the bed in a tangle of sheets in a dash for the bathroom. He dry heaved in the toilet, little left to actually throw up, and tried to wave Robyn off to go back to bed, but she stayed. His big frame trembled as she led him back to bed after brushing his teeth again. Needing the comfort, Hardrock curled around Robyn and held her close, and prayed her scent and presence would drive off the hideous memory of her in bloody pieces, of that whole fucking nightmare.

It didn't work. Off and on all night, each Ronin plunged into night terrors filled with the torn flesh, blood, and mutilation of the women they cared about. Through each cry of pain, Robyn was there to calm them down, humming or singing softly and rocking them gently back to sleep. Her own exhaustion paled in comparison to what they went through all night; she could easily put that aside if it meant her boys snatching a precious thirty minutes of uninterrupted sleep.

Dawn did arrive, as it always does. All three were blessedly asleep. Robyn lay awake, watching the sun lazily rise, idly running her fingers through Kento's hair and hoping the constant, soothing motion registered to his sleeping mind. Tears he didn't know he'd shed dried on his cheeks.

A passing thought drifted through Robyn's tired mind; she could sleep on the plane. Three more days. She looked down at Kento, then over at Sage, one arm flung over his eyes, and Ryo, his head buried in the pillow, the curve of his shoulders and back elegant and beautiful in the growing light.

Three more days and they would have to leave her friends. She didn't want to sleep and lose those precious few hours left with them.

* * *

"You didn't have to wait to leave for your honeymoon."

Cye paused to look over at his oldest friend, before he tucked bedding into the backseat of his car. Robyn stood on the curb, hands in her pockets, an early autumn breeze teasing her fine red hair into a dance.

"I wanted to," he said easily as he shut the car door. "Paris will still be there. Besides; Mia's family could use a little more time with her. They've been a great help. So have you and Regan. Thank you."

Robyn shrugged. Of course they were going to do what they could to smooth over and recover from the abrupt and violent end of the wedding, and the twenty-four hours that ensued after. The last three days had been a blur of tying up loose ends at work, packing, helping Mia, and checking on the guys. Neither she nor Rae had slept much, although the guys had rotated crashing at their place since then. They didn't explain themselves, but Robyn knew it wasn't just to help pack; they were still rattled from what they saw, and she couldn't begrudge them wanting to stay close. It was really nice, at any rate.

She opened her mouth to speak, then an "Oomph!" came out when Cye gathered her in a tight embrace. "You know you always have a place to stay here," he said, voice wavering.

"I know," she replied, smiling. "Maybe in a few more years we'll save up some money to go. Or you guys can visit us next time."

"Maybe we will. I'm sure Rowen would like that."

Robyn just continued smiling. No one was really sure how Strata's relationship with Regan was going to end up. As of yet, they hadn't broken up—and Regan was a mess about it—but most were dubious as to how well a long distance relationship would go.

"I'm kind of surprised Regan—both of you—are going back just like that," Cye then ventured.

Robyn looked towards the house, mainly to keep Cye from seeing her lips twitch. "For now, she has to. Indefinitely?" Robyn shrugged.

"You could help her decide by staying."

She smirked and bumped Cye's shoulder playfully.

"You have a home here," he reminded her gently. "You both could. No, we may not always see each other as often as we would like, but I would rather know that all I have to do to come see you is drive into town."

He was too sweet for his own good. And it was a very pleasant thought. Robyn looped her arm around him and squeezed.

* * *

The sudden, harsh sound of mover's tape ripped from its home startled Rowen, and then it went silent. He remained crouched in front of the box, staring at its surface, _donate_ sprawled in black marker on the cardboard. It held all the bric-a-brac they had accumulated that wouldn't make the journey back with them.

"That's it," Regan said carefully. She crouched down on the other side, then tucked her hair behind her ears. She didn't look at him. "Thank you for dropping this off for us."

"You're welcome. What time does your flight leave?" The words felt foreign in Rowen's mouth, like he was a ventriloquist dummy and someone else moved his mouth to force out the words.

"Eight a.m. Early day for us."

He nodded rapidly. So this was it. These were his last hours with his girlfriend.

His heart had morphed into a snare drum, ra-ta-tatting an urgent rhythm. He couldn't believe this was happening, that there had been no time to really talk about this. She could not get on that plane before he knew if she'd come back to him. If Rae walked out of his life…she couldn't. He would go after her. But there had to be a way to either keep her here or make damn sure she came back. Rowen didn't want a future without her in it—he already saw what that looked like. He already lost her, and it nearly killed him, and he could never tell her that. God knew the universe brought enough misery to their lives; why couldn't they find solace from that in each other? Just like they'd been doing? Why did things always have to fucking change?

Why did everyone leave?

Rowen barely caught her saying that she was going to move the box to the living room, so he mechanically helped her lift it. His cheeks felt warm; God it was hot in here, a heat that burrowed in his veins. Some distant part of him was screaming, but it'd been doing that all day, so he'd shoved it in a closet to shut it up, but it was pounding on the door and threatening to break it. He dared to look up at her as they walked the box out of the bedroom, and her beautiful, calming green eyes were at their feet and he loved her so much, if she would just crack a joke or tell him she was kidding, haha she wasn't actually _leaving_ , she was moving in with him and was that okay? Fuck yes, it was okay, they could sleep in his futon together and laugh at bad movies and make horrible meals from that ridiculous cookbook and he could take her to his favorite archery practice range—

"Rowen?"

Jolted from his manic thoughts, Rowen suddenly focused on her concerned eyes.

She opened her mouth to speak, hesitated, and then took a deep breath. "I'm going to talk to my work about—"

"Marry me," he blurted.

Regan's eyes widened. Her hands slipped from underneath the box, but he caught it and held it. "What?" she gasped.

"Please, God, marry me," he repeated, his voice shaking. "I know you have to leave right now, but you have to come back if we're getting married. I want you in my life, permanently, and we should just get married." Now that the words were out of him, a hideous pressure released from his chest. Suddenly he could _breathe_.

"You don't believe in marriage," she said faintly.

"I don't believe in marriage with anyone but you." Rowen hastily set down the box, then took her limp hands in his, squeezed them hard.

"Rowen, I…" Regan blinked a few times, bewildered and caught completely off guard. "I want to be with you, but… _marriage?_ "

"I know you think this is too fast," he rushed out. "I know it's only been four months."

"Yeah, and I can't just…" Regan pulled her hands away from him and dragged them through her hair, let out a little laugh of disbelief and, did he dare think breathlessness? Excitement? She hadn't told him no yet. "I have a life I have to get in order, and my brother would shit, literally shit a brick if I told him I was getting married in Japan. I'd have to move away from him." Tears suddenly welled in her eyes.

"Baby, baby," Rowen pulled her closer and rubbed her arms. "I know it would be hard, but we could work something out. You can move in with me, or you can stay with Mia, whatever you're comfortable doing until you get settled in again. Robyn will stay, too, you could find a place together again. But I am one hundred percent in my right mind when I ask if you'll marry me."

"Are you sure that's what you want?" He blinked at her, startled, and she shook her head at herself in frustration. "This has all happened so fast, and some really intense stuff has gone down. Rowen, before I change my entire life and move to a different country where I don't even speak the language yet, I have to know this isn't just some knee jerk reactionary thing that you'll regret in six months. This is my life. And it'll break my heart. I love you and I don't want to ruin this."

Rowen's expression softened. He framed her face with his hands. "I'm asking you to marry me because I'm desperately in love with you and I can't bear being without you." His voice was low and intense and it held her captive. "I know this is the right thing for us. I can feel it. Marriage didn't work for my parents, and it didn't work for yours, but it will work for us if we say so. If we're willing to try. I want to try. I want to know what it's like to be married to you."

Breathless laughter burst out of Regan as the tears fell. He wiped them away with thumbs.

"Could you want that, too?" he asked, his throat closing with emotion.

"Yes," she rushed out, then covered her mouth. "Yes, I do. But Rowen…I don't know if I'm safe. I can't tell you whether the people who took me won't ever find me again. They can't find out about you. I know it's already happened once, but…"

"And I bring even more danger to your life," he countered. "But you haven't left. And I'm too much of a selfish bastard to keep you safe by telling you to go. I'm not leaving, either."

A laughing sob escaped her, and Regan was suddenly in his arms, hugging him around the neck and holding him close. "I'm scared," she whispered. "Loving you is terrifying."

"Me, too," he said roughly as he squeezed her. "We'll take care of each other."

She nodded into his neck. "Okay," she finally said, her voice high and trembling, happy and giddy. "Okay. I'll marry you, Rowen Hashiba. You and that mystical armor of yours."

Some part of Rowen sighed with great relief and settled into a contentment he'd never known. "That's my girl."

 **THE END**

Author's Notes:

Willowsandgables: This story has been in the works since early 2015, but it _really_ began almost exactly two years ago, one hot summer week in July where I trekked across the states and spent a few days with Ghost. We watched Kikoutei and Message, geeked out over the boys, talked about fanfic, and then thought…let's do this. Let's write a monster tale. We had a great time building the outline and choosing the monsters, and the last year and a half of watching it form and find fans has been so awesome. Collaborating with Ghost and feeding off each other to create this has brought me such joy, and has been an amazing creative challenge that's made me a better writer. I'm thrilled that it's entertained and spooked all of you! Thanks for the Rae love, as well; I'm glad she went over well with y'all. You'll be seeing her around.

Ghost/Ty-Chou: This has been a super fun ride. Willows and I both love us some scary stories, monsters, and our Ronin boys. So it made sense that we would do a project together. It has been a treat to share this story with Willows. She always picked up the ball when I was running out of steam and I feel we compliment each other quite well with our varying strengths and weaknesses.

As usual, this is the part where I actively ask for reviews. We would love to hear thoughts from our readers now that the story is complete. And, if you have enjoyed this new fanfic universe, there IS going to be a sequel that Willows and I will be collabing on as well. So look out for that and thank you all for reading.


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